I called 60 Christian colleges (most have toll-free numbers) and asked for their applications. Almost a month later, 54 of 'em have landed on my desk.

My applications came from all over North America. They came from colleges from A to Z—including one school with both letters in its name: Azusa Pacific.

I got apps from colleges with directional names (Northwestern, Eastern), emotional names (Hope, Moody), godly names (Trinity, Messiah) and royal names (King, Crown).

Some of the applications were short; one was a single page with just a few easy questions. Some were long; one was a 24-page booklet with six essay questions.

Most colleges charge a small fee to apply. Of my 54 applications, the fee ranged from free to $55.

As I looked through my pile, I learned a lot about what you might want to know when you fill out college applications.

Essentially, a college application can be divided into four categories: 1) no-brainer questions, 2) essay questions, 3) references, and 4) a code of conduct agreement.

All college applications ask a ton of questions about things you hardly have to think about: your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, Social Security number, and so forth. They'll ask about your academic progress and achievements. And they'll want to know about your extracurricular activities.

They'll also ask about any community service, leadership awards, etc.

They'll want to know what you want to study, what you want to major in, what extracurricular activities you plan to participate in, and so forth.

They may ask about your race and ethnic background, but you don't have to answer; they want this information for statistical purposes only. They can't use it to decide whether or not to admit you. That's against the law. They might ask you some questions about your physical and emotional health, and whether you have any special needs. Again, this information should have no bearing on whether or not they admit you.

Other things they might ask about: your parents (including their occupations) and siblings; your country of citizenship (and immigration/visa status); your native language; marital status; military status; housing plans (will you live on- or off-campus?); and your expected college course load (full- or part-time?).

Many will ask how you heard about their school. They may want to know if any of your relatives attend or attended their school. They'll want to know if you're looking at any other colleges, and where they rank on your list of favorites.

You'll probably be asked about your church denomination, your involvement in church, your pastor's name and so forth.

Many will ask you if you've ever been kicked out of or suspended from school, and if so, why. They'll ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime, and if so, why. And they might want to know if you've ever used alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, and if so, why.

Yep, all no-brainer stuff, requiring very little thought. You can answer most of these questions while watching your favorite TV show. But you don't want to be watching TV when you answer the . . .

Here's the part of the college application where you've gotta use your brain. The bottom line: The essay questions are important stuff. They could make or break a college's decision on whether or not to admit you.

Even if you have a 3.9 GPA, a 1450 SAT score and a .486 batting average, it won't matter much if you can't put your thoughts on paper, logically and intelligently.

Colleges want thinking people on their campuses, people who can express themselves—preferably in complete sentences. That's why the essay questions are critical.

OK, enough preaching about the importance of the essay questions. Now, what can you expect to find? Well, there's at least one essay question on most applications, and often two or three.

Essentially, the essay questions I read fell into one of four categories: spiritual questions, academic/achievement questions, goal-oriented questions and open-ended questions:

Spiritual questions. Christian colleges want to know about your Christian experience. They want to know if you're a Christian (though a few say that's not a determining factor in whether or not they'll admit you), and they want to know how your faith has affected your lifestyle and the way you view the world.

Here are a few examples:

• "What does having a relationship with God mean to you?"
  
  
• "Briefly tell your salvation experience."
  
  
• "What in your life indicates that you are walking with the Lord?"
  
  

Here's a time-saving tip: Write a 300-word summary paragraph on what you think it means to be a Christian. Keep it stored in your computer, and you'll have the essentials of an answer to most any spiritual essay question you'll be asked.

Academic/achievement questions. This is where they ask what you've done in your school and in the community, and how those things have made you more well-rounded. Some examples:

• "Please write a well thought-out essay to discuss your ideas, your experiences, interests and achievements."
  
  
• "Summarize your school experiences in both academic and extracurricular activities. If your academic performance was not at an acceptable level, please explain why and what action you have taken to improve your academic ability."
  
  

Goal-oriented questions. College admissions officials want to know what you want to do with your life, and why you think their school will help you reach those goals.

So, does that mean it's important to know, before your 18th birthday, what you'll want to major in, what company you'll want to work for after graduating, what position you want to hold, whom you want to marry and what you'll name your children? Of course not. If your goals aren't clearly defined when you answer these types of questions, that's fine. It's also important not to invent lofty goals to impress the admissions people; don't tell them you want to be the CEO of IBM, or that you want to be the next Billy Graham, if it's not true. Be honest, and say that you hope the college experience will help you define your goals.

But your answers shouldn't be completely vague. Some of your goals will be obvious: You want to keep growing in your faith. You want to get a good education. You want to be prepared to enter the working world after you graduate.

Some examples of goal-oriented questions include:

• "As you think of the future, explain your most important goal."
  
  
• "Please specify your personal ministry goals and how you believe an education at [name of college] will assist you in meeting them."
  
  
• "In what ways do you expect a Christian liberal arts college to contribute to your future goals?"
  
  

Tip: Type up a 300-word mini-essay on your goals, and keep it on file. Then adjust your answer to particular questions as you address them.

Open-ended questions. Basically, these are questions that don't really fit into any of the other three categories. "Other" questions might be another way of thinking of it. A few examples:

• "Write about something that is important to you. Describe what it is, and tell why it's important."
  
  
• "Describe one of your most significant experiences and how it has affected your life."
  
  
• "Share any additional information about yourself that might be helpful in the selection process."
  
  

In making the important decision whether or not to admit you, most colleges will want to know what other people think of you. These people are your "references."

"No prob," you say. "I'll ask them to talk to Mom. She'll tell them I'm the best!"

Sorry, that won't work. Mom's opinion doesn't count. Colleges don't want to hear from any of your relatives. Too biased. Instead, most colleges want to hear from at least two people: your guidance counselor and your pastor (or youth pastor). Many colleges also want to hear from a couple of friends, preferably adult friends. If you know somebody who attended or is currently attending the college you're applying to, it's a good idea to ask that person to be a reference. And don't forget to ask a teacher you have a good relationship with—especially if you've done well in several of his or her classes.

Many colleges will send you forms to pass along to your references. The forms include a handful of questions about you, and they essentially ask the person if they think you would be a good fit at that particular college.

The people you choose as references will fill out the forms and, in most cases, send them directly to the college—or return them to you in a sealed envelope. That's right, you probably won't get a chance to read what they wrote. So, be sure to give your reference forms to people who actually like you! And be considerate to your reference: Make sure the return envelope has a stamp on it.

Many applications will include a statement describing that college's code of conduct. The code spells out certain behavior expectations, and it sometimes includes specific doctrinal beliefs.

Colleges will ask you to read their code and to sign your name, agreeing to abide by that code if you're accepted at that particular school.

Most codes include regulations regarding sexual activity and the use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. Many codes include regulations regarding social dancing as well.

Read the codes and the doctrinal beliefs carefully. If you have questions, talk to your pastor and/or an admissions official at that school.

If you read anything in the code of conduct or doctrinal statement that you disagree with or feel you can't abide by, then don't apply to that college.

Some college applications are rather long and involved. Don't be discouraged by them. Take heart. That only means that the college wants to be absolutely sure you'll be a good fit on their campus.

Moreover, applications can tell you things about the college that you may not have known or considered. Think of the application as one more step in the process of narrowing down your list of potential colleges. An application might further confirm your decision to apply to a certain school. At the same time, you might see something in the application that will make you want to cross that school off your list. That's OK, too.

Most applications include a checklist for you to go through to make sure you've covered all the necessary steps before sending in your application. Take these checklists seriously; if you skip a step (especially the part where it reminds you to include a check for the application fee!), the process will bog down. And you don't want that to happen.

Finally, when you've marked off every item on the checklist, take one more step: Ask your English teacher to read your application, checking for spelling errors, grammar and style. The last thing you want to do is submit an application with mistakes. Think of your application as your best first impression. Do it right, do it well, do it thoroughly. And the next thing you know, you'll be getting letters in the mail that read something like this:

"Congratulations! You have been accepted!"

Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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