FAQs: Applying to College

Perfect is a bit of a tricky word—that’s because you probably won’t find a perfect college. As you move through your search, you might be drawn to different things about different schools. Maybe School #1 has the ESPN Gameday-style athletics scene you’ve been looking for. Or you can see yourself conducting independent research in the neuroscience field at School #2. And School #3 is ranked top 10 in the nation for their dining hall food. You’ll need to figure out what matters most to you, because no one school is likely to check every single box—this is especially true if you’re someone with a loonnngg list of requirements. Pick 3-5 non-negotiables, and let those guide you.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list, you’ll want to prioritize visiting your top choice schools. Sure, you can learn a lot about a place through a website or social platforms—but nothing will ever replace that intangible, gut feeling you’ll get when you first visit the campus that feels the most like home.

Psst—We’ve written a whole blog post on this topic, so feel free to dig a little deeper.

Good news is, this usually isn’t something you’ll need to figure out before starting college. There are a few courses of study that’ll require you to apply directly to a major (like Nursing here at Randolph-Macon), but most programs allow you to wait to declare your intention. 

If you have ideas about what you plan to study, you can start with some classes that’ll help you on your way to that degree. And if you end up changing your mind about that major, know you’ll have the chance to change directions and the freedom to explore a different path. 

At Randolph-Macon, we offer a broad curriculum that’s designed to expose you to a little of it all—and we happen to think college is the perfect time to pursue multiple interests before locking in on an academic path. You’ll get first-hand experience in the fields that excite you, plus expert mentorship from professors and staff who’ll help guide your discovery. 

When it comes to officially declaring your major, each school might have a different timeline. For RMC, students don’t need to declare a major until the end of their sophomore year—though, sooner is okay too! This offers plenty of time for those who haven’t decided on a major (or have changed their mind about their major) to do some of the above-mentioned exploration prior to making a decision.

When we review high school transcripts, we look for students who’ve challenged themselves with a rigorous and diverse curriculum. But because all schools are different, we assess your course selection within the context of what’s offered at your high school. This means we won’t expect you to have a transcript full of AP courses if your school doesn’t offer said AP courses. 

So for some, Advanced Placement (AP) courses might be the most rigorous available at their high school. But for other students, honors level courses could be considered the top tier. We’re just looking to see that you challenged yourself within the realm of what was available to you. 

Our rule of thumb? The earlier you’re able to apply, the better. This should offer the chance to compare details and visit your top-choice schools before choosing your future home. It also shows schools that you are very interested!

So what does early mean? A lot of schools offer multiple application deadlines throughout the fall and winter. In most cases, you’ll have the option to choose between Early Decision (binding—for those who are sure!), Early Action (non-binding), or Regular Decision. As the names would suggest, both Early Decision and Early Action are considered early plans.

And you don’t have to wait until an official “deadline.” If you’re thinking about Randolph-Macon, know that the sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll hear back from us. While some schools wait to release all admissions decisions on predetermined dates, we release admissions decisions on a rolling basis. Starting in September, you can expect to get a decision in two weeks (or less!) after submitting your completed application. You can submit important financial information when the FAFSA opens in October, which will determine your financial aid award. At RMC, this means you’ll have your admission decision and financial aid package well before May 1—the National Decision Day for most applicants, excluding Early Decision candidates.

Each school you’re considering might have a different answer to this question. But at Randolph-Macon, SAT and/or ACT test scores are always optional. If you take a standardized test and feel confident your scores will strengthen your application—go ahead and submit them. If your scores aren’t a great reflection of you and your academic capabilities, it might be best to leave them out. We will not favor candidates with test scores over those without.

Short answer: it depends. Randolph-Macon’s application review is holistic, which means we weigh all parts of your application throughout the review process. We know our applicants are multi-dimensional individuals, and we place a lot of value on a well-rounded set of skills and interests. But because GPA is often an important indicator of potential for academic success in college, it too plays a big role in our candidate review. We’ll consider your GPA in the context of your academic rigor, and we’ll look for an upward trend—i.e. strong grades junior year hold more value than strong grades freshman year. We’ll want to see that you improved over time, not the other way around. 

As a reference point, RMC’s incoming class of 2024 had an average weighted GPA of 3.8. Some students were higher, and some students were lower. Our advice? Continue to work hard in your high school classes, and put focus on the parts of your application that are under your control. 

It’s no secret that choosing an application plan is an important decision. And in order to make the most informed choice possible, you’ll need to fully understand the differences (and similarities) between all the options available. Here’s what you should know about ED vs. EA.

Early Decision (ED) is just that—a decision. You’ve already chosen your best-fit school, and you’re 100% willing to commit to that school if admitted. It’s your promise to withdraw all other applications, and submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit to your ED school of choice.

What are the benefits of a commitment this big? Well, Early Decision applicants often get priority consideration when it comes to things like course registration and housing selection. There’s also a peace of mind that comes with making an early college decision—you’ll have extra time to enjoy the fun parts of senior year, and can get a head start on prepping for fall.

At Randolph-Macon, an ED candidate must submit their application by November 15, and their enrollment deposit by December 15. 

Early Action (EA) is a great choice if you’d like to keep your college options open. You’ll still apply early, and get your admissions decision early—but unlike ED, this plan is not a binding commitment. With a deposit deadline of May 1, Early Action will give you a little more time to compare all your financial aid offers and visit (or re-visit!) all of your top choice schools.

This answer might be different for every school on your list, but it costs nothing to apply to Randolph-Macon College. Yes, you read that right—it’s 100% free to submit your application. 

So if you’re looking for a sign to apply to RMC, we hope this is the extra little nudge you needed.

At Randolph-Macon, the answer to this one is yes—100% of the time. In fact, this is one of our favorite parts of the application. More than a set of numbers on paper, your writing offers the most insight into who you are as a unique individual. And because we’d like to get to know the whole you, we place a lot of value on your personal perspectives.

The RMC application requires both a personal statement and an essay. Consider the essay a sample of your thinking and writing. The personal statement offers the chance to fill gaps, or highlight other information you’d like to share. You can use this space to tell us what we should know about you—the important things that aren’t showcased in other parts of your application.

Our advice is to take time with your writing. Do some brainstorming beforehand, and reflect on the things that matter to you and why they matter to you. This is your outlet to tell us a bit more about your personal beliefs, passions, and experiences. Consider it your chance to go beyond a transcript or set of test scores, and offer insight into some of the things that make you, you. 

So to sum it all up—yes, we’ll read each word of your essay. And yes, we’ll really love doing it.

Nope! At RMC, all admitted students will automatically be considered for one of our generous merit scholarships—no separate application is required! Renewable up to four years, you’ll be notified of your merit award at the time of your acceptance to the College. Students in the highest academic tier will be invited to interview for additional merit-based scholarships. We also offer a number of scholarships for students with select academic majors or interests.

We’re so glad you asked! An important question that really just depends on the application plan you’ve chosen. Most schools offer multiple application plans with various deadlines throughout the fall, winter, and spring. It’s crucial to keep close track of all these big dates—some schools will send email reminders (did we mention it’s important to check your email, too??) and some won’t. It’s up to you to stay on top of your application deadlines.

At Randolph-Macon College, we’ve listed all our important application plans and deadlines on our website for easy reference.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1, 2024 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Know that some (if not all) of the schools you’re considering might have a priority deadline (dependent on your chosen application plan) for submitting the FAFSA. In order to receive the best possible award, you’ll want to submit your FAFSA form by this date.

Some schools release all their admissions decisions (under a set application plan) on the same day at the same time. On the other side of the coin, schools like Randolph-Macon will release all admissions decisions on a rolling basis. In short, this means the sooner you submit your application, the sooner you’ll hear back from us. 

After receiving a completed application, it typically takes us 2 weeks (or less) to offer an admission decision. We do not hold these notifications to release on a pre-selected date. As soon as we review your application and make a decision, you’ll know about it. It’s that simple!

P.S. Rolling admissions doesn’t mean it’s easier to get accepted. At RMC, we offer rolling admissions because we want to take the mystery (and waiting!) out of the process. When we see a student who’d be a good fit, we’re excited to invite them to join our vibrant community.

This could look a little different for each school, but most offer an online platform (sometimes called a portal) that’ll let you check the status of your application. These portals often include things like your application checklist, your decision status, your financial aid notification, and other important details and updates. At Randolph-Macon, we email access to our Applicant Portal as soon as a student submits their application. That’s why it’s important to monitor your inbox, carefully record login credentials for each school, and check your app status often!

It depends! For some schools, you might wait weeks (or even months!) to hear back. This is because those schools plan to release all their admissions decisions on the same day at the same time. So even if your application review is complete and a decision has been made, you (and all other applicants) will still have to wait until the school-selected notification date.

On the other side of the coin, some schools like RMC will release all admissions decisions on a rolling basis. This means the sooner you submit your application, the sooner you’ll hear back. After receiving a complete application, we will offer an admissions decision in 2 weeks or less.