By JACQUELINE

As an undocumented student, I know just how challenging and confusing the college application process can be. I graduated from high school in 2014 in the state of Georgia. By that point, I had become familiar with the higher ed policies placed against undocumented students in the state. Even with DACA, I wasn’t allowed to apply to the top five public universities in Georgia nor did I qualify for in-state-tuition at other institutions. This meant that if I got accepted to a school, I would still have to find a way to pay double the amount of tuition.

During my senior year of high school I applied to several colleges and although I got accepted to one, I could not afford the cost of tuition. I also did not know who to reach out to about financial aid. It left me in the dark wondering what options there were for students like me. So it’s understandable why so many of us often believe that higher education is unattainable. But I’m here to tell other undocumented students that there are ways to navigate around higher education policies, lack of support, and economic barriers.

I’ll start off by saying that when I first began applying to college, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and as a result didn’t have the best approach the first few times. Each year though, I learned from the mistakes I made the previous year and my applications became stronger. Something that I wish someone would have stressed to me early on is the importance of building meaningful relationships with people who can support you and potentially offer assistance during the application process. People such as teachers, high school counselors, community members/leaders, current undocumented college students, etc. Having a support system makes a huge difference so don’t hesitate to reach out for help.

First, you want to find schools that are undocumented/DACAmented friendly. This means schools where if offered admission, you would be granted some form of financial aid to help cover tuition. So you want to look into schools where you will be considered a domestic student as opposed to an international student applicant. Of course you also want to make sure that the schools you pick offer the major that you want and are places you can see yourself actually attending and thriving in.

Once you’ve got your schools picked, categorize them by competitive acceptance rates. It’s good to have “reach” schools, schools that align with your overall academic achievement, and “safe” schools to fall back on. Write down early action, early decision, and regular decision deadlines for each school to decide when you want to apply to what school. Early action is advantageous because you will be among the first pool of applicants getting their applications reviewed while at the same time not being binded to attend if admitted.

You will then want to ensure you have taken all required tests for the schools you plan on applying to and once The Common Application opens up, begin filling it out. Many schools have college application fees but depending on your economic status, they may waive it. If you are applying to several schools that require an application fee, inquire with your counselor about fee waivers. The same goes for SAT fees. Use your resources to make the application process as least economically taxing as possible.

Once you have completed the Common App, begin completing your college applications and writing your college essays. The sooner you start writing these, the sooner you will be able to receive feedback and constructive criticism on them. At the same time, you’ll want to start writing to teachers for letters of recommendation. Be sure to provide all necessary materials for them to do this including a resume with all relevant achievements and a bit about yourself and your aspirations. Something that was important for me was opening up to my recommenders about my status. Even though it was nerve-wrecking to do at first, I believe it allowed my teachers and guidance counselor to understand the importance and value behind what I was trying to achieve. It also gave them a little more insight on who I was as a person. However, disclosing that information is always up to each individual’s personal situation.

By this time, you should be in the final stages of revising your essays. If you have any activism or organizing experience, I would suggest writing about that. Don’t be afraid to be honest about the hardships you have encountered due to your undocumented status. Being open about it in your essay will only help give those reviewing your application more insight and an understanding on your academic performance and help explain any lack of extracurricular activities. It can only serve as an asset.

Make sure that all materials required for each school have been submitted including SAT/ACT scores, subject SAT scores, high school transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. Once you are satisfied with your application and have sent all required materials, you’re ready to submit the first of many. After you’ve submitted all of your applications, follow up with schools about any financial aid documents they may need from you. Despite being undocumented, many schools still require that you submit FAFSA and/or the CSS profile for financial aid purposes so make sure to get them in by the deadline. As an undocumented student, not only can the college application process be confusing but also the financial aid one. Be prepared to make several calls to get clarification on questions you may have in order to accurately complete forms.

Once all of your applications and financial aid documents are submitted, make sure to stay on top of any notifications in case schools require any additional materials from you. At this point you should celebrate by going out and doing something fun! Applying to college is a big feat especially as an undocumented student so you should recognize all of the hard work you have put in during the last months.

Finally, you’ll want to consider searching for scholarships specifically for undocumented/DACA students or scholarships that don’t have a citizenship requirement at all and start applying to them for additional financial aid. There are a lot more resources available to undocumented/DACA students now than there were a couple of years ago so take full advantage of them. Some of these include TheDream.US Scholarship, Golden Door Scholars, QuestBridge, MALDEF, and E4FC to name a few.

The most important thing throughout the college application process is to not give up and to keep the end goal in mind. It helps to surround yourself with a supportive community. There was a point where I no longer wanted to apply to college anymore because I thought it just would not happen for me. But thanks to my family, friends, and mentors I decided to continue applying and through hard work, guidance, and determination, I can finally say that I’ll be attending Eastern Connecticut State University this Fall. Allow your undocumented status to push you rather than hinder you and you’ll be surprised at just how much you can achieve.

Many thanks to Elspeth Michaels for her logo design for the Navigating Higher Education Opportunity Series. To see more of her work, check out her website here.

With support from UndocuScholars at the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at UCLA, the Navigating Higher Education Opportunities Series commissions undocumented students and young adults to write blog posts with helpful advice and information about applying to and navigating college as an undocumented student. Please follow UndocuScholars’ social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn about their latest projects. And stay tuned for our second series with UndocuScholars, Spotlight Series on College Presidents!

Jacqueline is an undocumented youth advocate in Georgia and DACA recipient. She was born in Mexico and arrived in the United States at the age of three. A 2014 high school graduate, she has been active in fighting for equal access to higher education ever since. She became involved with Freedom University in 2012 and has helped organize events and actions in support of undocumented student rights in the state. She will be attending Eastern Connecticut State University in the Fall as a first generation student and as a TheDream.US scholarship recipient.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of My Undocumented Life, its editors, or any other organization the author(s) may be affiliated with.

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Categories: Applying to College, Life After High School, Navigating High School

Tags: college, education, Immigration, undocumented