Helpful Tips for Project STEPP Applicants

Applying to Project STEPP? These tips may help you through the application process.

Before you start your application, take the time to read the following resources thoroughly and carefully:

The Application Checklist gives very detailed instructions. Please follow them closely and call or email us if you aren't sure about something.
The FAQ page includes important information about the application process and materials that will help you complete your packet efficiently.
This page also has some helpful pointers that aren't necessarily included in the FAQs or instructions.

You can send in your application materials together in one packet or separately in multiple packets.

If you send items separately, try to send the Student Information Form in the very first packet. We can't start a file for you or send you notifications without that.
We highly recommend doing this if some of your required materials won't be available until close to the deadline. The earlier we receive the bulk of your application packet, the more time you will have to fix anything that is missing or incorrect.
Your teachers can send their recommendations separately or give them to you to include in your packet. The same goes for your transcripts and anything else that comes from your school.

You need to be proactive about keeping up with your application status.

Project STEPP sends notifications by email or postal mail and keeps a record of all notifications sent. Once we send a notification, we are not responsible for whether a student receives and/or reads it.
If you have submitted application materials and have not received a response, you need to contact Project STEPP to verify whether we received them. Allow up to 2-3 weeks for us to receive a packet, process it, and notify you.
If you choose the email notification option, we strongly recommend adding johnsonem@ecu.edu to your email account's "safe senders" list and regularly checking your spam/junk folder for any messages from Project STEPP.
If you choose the postal mail notification option, please be aware that sending and receiving mail through the university mail system often takes 1-2 days longer than the usual postal timeframe.

If you're not sure whether to submit a freshman or transfer application, call or email us.

Usually, if you're still in high school we will want you to submit a freshman application. This is true even if you're planning to attend a different college in the fall and transfer in 30 credit hours.
If you're currently in college, we'll probably want you to submit a transfer application, even if you don't think you'll have 30 credit hours by the time you enter ECU.
If you're currently in college but graduated from high school within the past year, we might ask you to submit the transfer application along with a few pieces of information from the freshman application. Check with us!

The application deadline is a postmark deadline, not a "received by" deadline.

As long as your application is postmarked on or before May 15th, it will be considered on time.
You can send your materials by standard postal mail. In most cases, there is no need to pay extra for priority or overnight mail.
However, it's still a good idea to get things in early! (See below.)

Submit your application early if you can!

A lot of students send in their applications between May 1st-15th. Getting yours in before that means usually means it will be processed faster and sent to the admissions committee for review sooner.
Please be aware that if you mail your application packet on May 15th and it turns out that something is missing or incorrect, your application will be considered late because you won't be able to send the remaining materials by the deadline.

We must have your SAT (or ACT) scores by May 15th...but don't panic if you're not happy with those scores.

It does not matter which test you take - we accept both the SAT and the ACT. But if you take the ACT, make sure you take the "optional" writing section. It's required for ECU and thus for Project STEPP.
We cannot waive the SAT or ACT requirement, but we do take into consideration the fact that it's very common for students with LD to struggle with standardized testing. We have never rejected an applicant solely on the basis of low SAT/ACT scores. The scores may factor into the decision, but we make decisions based on a broad view of all the student's application materials.
Many students aren't happy with their first set of SAT/ACT scores. You might want to consider taking it once during the winter of your junior year to guarantee that you'll have scores available in time for the Project STEPP deadline. Then you can plan to do some test-prep activities in the spring and take it again in May or June. There's a good chance your scores will go up because you'll know what to expect the second time and you'll also have another semester of math and English coursework under your belt. You won't have the second set of scores in time for the deadline, but you will be able to send them to us before we make final admission decisions over the summer.

If you're using the type-in versions of the application forms, read this...

If you have Adobe Reader (this is what most people have on their computers), you should be able to type directly into the boxes on the application forms. However, you will not be able to save the information you have typed into the form. Your best bet is to make sure you have all the information you need to complete the form so you can fill it in from start to finish and then print it immediately.
If you have the full Adobe Acrobat software installed on your computer (instead of just Adobe Reader), then you should be able to save the completed form and come back to it to finish later. You can print it and mail it in, or you can email it to johnsonem@ecu.edu instead.
If you hover your mouse over the blank boxes on the Student Information Form, you'll get a pop-up box that sometimes explains in more detail what we're asking for in that box. Try looking at that if you need clarification about any of the questions.
The form should automatically shrink the font if what you're typing doesn't fit in the box. If you type too much, the box will stop accepting what you've typed. Make sure the end of what you've written is still visible on the form - if you can't see it on the screen, it won't print!
Please do not print out the blank type-in version of the Student Information Form if you're planning to write in your answers by hand! Use the regular form instead. There are several places on the type-in form with drop-down boxes. If you print the blank type-in form, those spaces will be filled with the default answers from those boxes, and there won't be any space for you to write in your answers.
Just like with the Student Info Form, your teacher needs to be able to access the content of the drop down boxes in order to correctly complete the Teacher Recommendation Form. This means you cannot fill out Section I of the Teacher Rec Form on the computer and then print the form out for your teacher to complete Section II by hand. There are three ways to get around this problem:
Option 1: Send your teacher the link to the type-in version of the form and ask him/her to complete Section II on the computer and print it out, then give it back to you so you can fill out Section I by hand.
Option 2: (This is probably the best option in most cases.) If your teacher prefers to keep his/her recommendation confidential, send the link and ask him/her to complete both Section I and II. S/he can return it to you in a sealed envelope or send it directly to Project STEPP. If you choose this option, you do not need to sign the recommendation form.
Option 3: You can complete Section I of the form on a computer that has Adobe Acrobat software, which will allow you to save the information typed in the form and then email it to your teacher. Your teacher can then complete Section II, print it and mail it in.