College and scholarship applications can be quite a challenging task. With numerous forms, letters of recommendation, and other vital documents to manage, students can easily get overwhelmed. With almost everything created and submitted on your computer, backing up these documents is vital. But what about important application documents that are on paper? (Yeah, you still need those sometimes.) How can you keep all your documents organized and easy to access? Let’s explore the benefits of digitizing the paper parts of your applications, managing them, and utilizing document scanning and conversion tools to help you streamline the process for the long haul.
Streamlining and digitizing application documents
With college admission becoming more complex, online applications are now the norm for admission and scholarships. Traditional paper-based methods for college applications are tiresome and prone to errors—you may have even heard of cases where an institution or student lost documents. The content of a paper document can also be easily tampered with. The world today relies heavily on technology, so there's no excuse for failing to digitize any physical parts of your applications. This can significantly enhance the efficiency of your application process while avoiding the risk of damaged or lost documents—plus, organization becomes more manageable. Here are some additional benefits of making the effort to digitize and organize:
- It saves time: The convenience of accessing and submitting documents electronically saves time and effort for both you and admission offices, allowing colleges to make decisions promptly.
- It’s better for the environment: Digitization reduces unnecessary paper usage and helps colleges contribute to sustainable practices and conserve natural resources.
- It enhances accuracy: Digital applications can enhance accuracy, especially with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, which is vital in document conversion and decreasing data entry errors. This ensures the information you submit is precise and error-free.
- It’s easier to store: Digitized documents are so easy to store and archive. Colleges can maintain electronic records of past applications and refer to them when they need them.
Related: 3 College Application Mistakes You're Likely Making
Building a digital document management system
Creating a digital document management system is your first step toward streamlining your applications. The goal is to centralize all your application-related materials and store them in a secure and easily accessible location. In this case, you can leverage cloud-based storage technology like Google Docs or Dropbox. Storing your documents on the internet lets you access them from any device and avoid losing them if your computer breaks or crashes. This will enable you to keep working on your applications anytime, anywhere.
One key aspect of a document management system is categorizing your documents correctly. You should create different folders and file names for different types of documents. For example, you can organize them into academic transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, extracurricular achievements, personal statements, and other relevant documents—and always include a personal identifier in the file name. This allows you to quickly find and submit required documents when your application deadlines approach and it also helps committees know whose documents they’ve received.
Using tools for document scanning and conversion
Document scanning and conversion tools are crucial to digitizing any paper-based documents. You can use your smartphone or any dedicated document scanner to capture high-quality images of physical documents. After scanning, you can convert these images into a PDF or other easily readable formats. Some files should always be in PDF format, and college or scholarship application documents fall under this category because you can share them online more easily than a Word doc.
Many institutions now allow students to scan and convert documents directly from their phones, simplifying the process even further. Again, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology is vital in document conversion. OCR can recognize text in scanned documents, making it easy to search documents using keywords. This feature is helpful when students need to get specific information from their documents or edit any errors before submission.
Backing up and securing your documents
The security of your application documents is crucial, as these files contain sensitive and personal information. As much as cloud services are advised when digitizing your applications, students should ensure they use secure cloud storage services with robust encryption features to protect their data from unauthorized access. Backing up your application documents can also save you from unexpected loss. Cloud storage services are generally reliable, but technical glitches and unforeseen circumstances can still lead to data loss. Therefore, you should regularly create strong backups on external hard drives or other storage devices. It’s a good practice to get into before you’re a busy college student with long, important papers and projects on your computer as well.
Related: 3 Smart Steps to Creating a College Application Strategy
Digitizing college and scholarship applications streamlines the entire process, making it more efficient and convenient for both students and committees. Digital document formats allow you to easily share and submit your applications, eliminating the need for printing, mailing, or even hand-delivering physical copies. A document management system ensures nothing gets lost in the shuffle, and you can easily track which documents have been submitted and which are still pending. This transparency also enhances peace of mind and reduces anxiety. Some schools or scholarship committees may prefer the old-school paper application, which you’ll have to adhere to if they require it—but you’ll feel much better if you digitize everything, back it up, and save it online as an extra security measure.
Wait! Before you submit those applications, make sure you review these 11 Steps to Finalizing and Submitting Your College Apps to make them the best they can be!
