College applications are now filled out online. Many of the early application deadlines for the following fall terms are in early November, and regular deadlines are in early December. Colleges make it really easy to find their applications online so you can usually find them just by googling the college name and "admissions."  As a shortcut, we included links below to colleges and universities in our area.  

The Next Steps Idaho website is one of the best tools to find colleges based on a specific major, or even to help students figure out what they want to study.  If you aren't sure what you want to do after high school, it will be worth your time to check out these tools!

Most college websites also have virtual tours available of their campus so you can really get an idea of what the experience will look like at each one. Don't be afraid to branch out and find what really interests you! 

In addition to all Idaho public colleges, students can apply to the College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University. Visit the Idaho Colleges Directory for information about Idaho’s public institutions. Through Apply Idaho, application fees are waived.

Apply Idaho can only be used by students who graduate in the Spring of the current year. Students who graduated high school in any other year must refer to each institution’s individual website and apply directly with the school there.

To use Apply Idaho, students will need:

• To know their full legal name

• To know their permanent address

• To know their EDUID number (ask a counselor if unsure)

• To have a personal email address (not associated with a high school)

All Idaho seniors (attending public and charter high schools) will find their Direct Admissions letter within Apply Idaho, once they register and log in. This notification tells them where their grades are a match with Idaho’s public college’s criteria for admission, based on the State Board-approved benchmark. Students who wish to take advantage of the direct admissions offer can use Apply Idaho to submit application materials to one or more of Idaho’s colleges and universities.

In addition to submitting the application materials, all students are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA, as soon as possible after it opens on October 1. We walk through all of this at school with seniors, but you can click here for more information.