A green rectangle banner with the words "Dream. Explore.Apply. Apply Kansas"



 

 

 

 

 

 

The first step in going to college is to apply!  For many students, applying to college can be a daunting task, but it can be particularly overwhelming for students who may be the first in their family to pursue postsecondary educational dreams or have yet to consider their plans after high school. 

Apply Kansas, is our annual statewide campaign in which high schools conduct events to help seniors apply to college with their peers and with help, guidance, and a cheering squad from school staff, local community supporters, and postsecondary volunteers.  In partnership with the American College Application Campaign, Apply Kansas is a state-wide initiative to increase the number of students applying, enrolling, and succeeding in college or other postsecondary goals.

We encourage your high school to register.  We’ll help you with resources, tips, and tools to help you host a successful event!

Step 1: Register your school or community organization as a host site for a 2025 Apply Kansas event!
Step 2:
Attend a training or view the virtual training. See below.
Step 3:
Plan your event
Step 4: Host your event and collect student data
Step 5: Submit your Apply Kansas Site Completion data - Due December 1st
Next, check out the All Star High School page

Additional Apply Kansas details are located below. 

Resources and reports

Apply Free Days Information and Resources
2025 Apply Free Days Application Instructions
Site Coordinator Information & Resources
Promoting the Event 
Apply Kansas Site Completion Survey Questions
2025 Kansas Admission Guide (links to applications for admission, financial aid departments, and scholarship dates)
FAFSA & Financial Aid Resources
Apply Kansas Steering Committee Members

Annual Reports:
2024 Apply Kansas Annual Report Graphic
2024 Apply Kansas Annual Report Slides
Map of 2024 Apply Kansas schools
 

2025 apply kansas Training Schedule 

In-person training locations will include opportunities to share ideas and a campus tour with updates from the institution. A virtual training will be available after in person trainings have concluded. 

Training Location City Date Time Registration 
Alvin E. Morris Administrative Center Wichita Thursday, August 7 8:30am - 11:30am Register
Howard City Library Howard Friday, August 8 10am - 11:30am Register
Southwest Plains Service Center Sublette Wednesday, August 13 8:30am - 1pm Register
Labette Community College Parsons Tuesday, August 26 9am - 2pm Register
Kansas State University Aerospace and Technology Campus Salina Wednesday, August 27 8:30am - 11:30am Register
Fort Hays State University Hays Wednesday, September 3 8:30am - 11:30am Register

2025 Apply Kansas schools

In 2024, 261 schools offered an Apply Kansas event, representing 253 of the state's 286 school districts.

Updated 7/28/2025 at 3pm.

High School High School High School
Alfred Fairfax Academy Hamilton High School Riverside High School
Altoona Midway High School Hanover High School Rock Creek High School
Andover Central High School Hartford High School Rolla High School
Andover Central High School Haysville Campus High School Rose Hill High School
Andover High School Hesston High School Rossville Jr/Sr High School
Arkansas City High School Hiawatha High School  Royal Valley High School
Ashland High School  Hillsboro Middle High School Russell Jr.-Sr. High School
Atchison County Community Jr/Sr High School Hodgeman County High School Sabetha High School
Atchison High School Hoisington High School Saint Francis Junior/Senior High School
Attica High School Holcomb High School Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Augusta High School Holton High School Salina High School Central
Axtell High School Hope High School Salina South High School
Baldwin High School Hoxie High School Santa Fe Trail High School
Basehor Linwood High School Hugoton High School  Satanta Jr/Sr High School
Beloit Jr./Sr. High School Humboldt High School Scott Community High School
Bishop Carroll Catholic High School Humboldt High School Seaman High School
Blue Valley Academy Inman Jr/Sr High Sedan High School
Blue Valley High School - Randolph Jackson Heights High School Sedgwick High School
Blue Valley North High School JC Harmon High School Shawnee Heights High School
Blue Valley West High School Jefferson West High School Shawnee Mission North High School
Bonner Springs High School Kansas Connections Academy Silver Lake High School
Brewster High School Kingman Middle High School Skyline High School
Bucklin High School Kinsley High School Smoky Valley High School
Burlingame Jr./Sr. High Kiowa County High School Solomon High School
Burlington High School La Crosse High School South Barber HS
Caney Valley High School Labette County High School South Central High School
Cedar Vale Schools  Lakin High School  South Gray High School
Central Heights High School Larned High School Southeast High School
Central Plains High School Leavenworth High School Southeast of Saline High School
Central School Lebo High School Southern Coffey County High School
Centralia High School Liberal High School Southwestern Heights High School
Chanute High School Linn High School Spearville High School
Chaparral High School Little River High School Spring Hill High School
Chase County Jr/Sr High School Lyndon High School St. James Academy
Chase High School Lyons High School St. John High School
Cheney High School Macksville High School St. Mary's Colgan High School 
Cherryvale High School Madison Virgil usd 386 St. Marys High School
Cheylin USD 103 Maize High School Stafford High School
Cimarron High School Maize South High School Stanton County High School
Circle High School Maize Virtual Preparatory School Sterling High School
Clay Center Community High School Marais des Cygnes Valley High School Stockton High School
Clearwater High School Marmaton Valley High School Sublette High School
Clifton-Clyde High School Marysville Jr/Sr High School Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences
Colby High School McPherson High School Tescott High School
Concordia High School Meade High School Thomas More Prep-Marian
Conway Springs High School Medicine Lodge High School Thunder Ridge High School
Council Grove Jr Sr High School Mill Valley High School  Tipton Catholic High School
Deerfield High School Minneapolis High School Tonganoxie High School
Derby High School Minneola High School Topeka High School
Dexter High School Mission Valley Jr/Sr High School Topeka West High School
Dighton High School Moscow High School Trinity Catholic High School
Dodge City High School Moundridge High School Troy High School
Doniphan West High School Mulvane High School  Turner High School
Douglass High School Nemaha Central High School Udall High School
Education Imagine Academy Neodesha High School Ulysses High School 
Eisenhower High School Ness City Jr./Sr. High School Uniontown High School
El Dorado High School Newton High School Valley Heights High School 
Elk Valley High School Nickerson High School Victoria High School
Ell Saline High School Northeast High School Wakefield High School
Ellinwood High School Northeast Magnet High School  Wallace County High School
Ellis Jr/Sr High School Norton Community High School Wamego High School
Ellsworth High School  Norwich High School Washburn Rural High School
Emporia High School Olathe South High School Washington High School
Erie High School Olathe West High School Waverly High School
Eureka Jr Sr High School Onaga Sr High School Wellington High School
F L Schlagle High School  Osawatomie High School  Wellsville High School
Fairfield High School Oskaloosa High School West Elk High School
Flinthills High School Oswego High School West Franklin High School
Fort Scott High School Ottawa High School Western Plains High School
Frankfort High School Oxford High School Western Plains High School 
Frederic Remington High School Paola High School Wheatland High School
Fredonia Junior Senior High School  Parsons High School  White City High School
Frontenac High School Peabody-Burns Jr/Sr High School Wichita Alternative High School (Chester Lewis)
Garden City Achieve Perry Lecompton High School Wichita County Jr/Sr High School
Garden Plain High School Phillipsburg High School  Wichita Heights High School
Girard High School Pike Valley High School Wichita High School East
Golden Plains High School Piper High School Wichita High School North 
Goodland High School Pleasant Ridge High School Wichita High School South
Great Bend High School Pratt High School Wichita Southeast High School
Greeley County High School Quinter High School Wyandotte High School
Greenbush Virtual Academy Rawlins County High School Yates Center High School
Halstead High School Riley County High School   


Plan your Apply Kansas event

1. Reserve computer labs, library, or classrooms/facilities for your event.

2. Post Banners to remind students that event will occur.

3. Recruit Volunteers - Could be teachers or college admission staff.

4. Prepare Students for the Event.

#1: Encourage your seniors to identify 2-3 colleges or postsecondary programs they would like to apply to.  You could require students to complete some or all of these options.

  • Attend a College Fair (either virtual or in-person)
  • Use a college search tool: Xello, Big Future, Naviance, KS degreestats, Encourage, etc.
  • Complete College Fit Worksheet
  • Visit a college campus

#2: Once they’ve identified some colleges, have seniors complete the College Application Checklist, to prepare personal information they may need to complete their college application on the day of the event

5. Apply Kansas Event Day!

  • Complete College Applications
  • Request Transcripts
  • Submit fee waivers (when applicable)
  • Students complete a sign out survey (Examples: Online, Paper #1, Paper #2)

    • Reporting your Apply Kansas Event data is the only requirement of participating in this program. At a minimum you’ll need to submit the following information to us at the conclusion of your event:

      • Number of seniors who submitted an application
      • Total Number of college applications submitted
      • Number of KS Public Colleges receiving applications

  • Social Media Blitz!  Post pictures with an Apply Kansas banner listing the colleges they applied when finished

6. Submit your Apply Kansas site data to Apply Kansas by December 1st.

  • This submission qualifies you to receive All Star High School recognition. 

7. Follow up with FAFSA completion instructions/events & Financial Aid resources

  • Kansas school districts are able to see your individual high school students FAFSA  through the FAFSA Completion Project.  Each district submits a request for access, and the designated district contact is responsible for distributing the data to individual schools. The process is outlined on the FAFSA Resources page. 

8. Incentivize seniors completing all 4 tasks.  Certificate?  Prizes?  Apply Kansas Swag?

 

WHY APPLY Day: Friday, September 19, 2025

Check out this video made by students in Shawnee Heights High School.  The students in the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program asked their teachers to fill out the selfie page on why students should apply to college and collected all their responses in this video .    

Create your own "Why Apply" selfie page (pdf) and post your picture on any social media outlet tagging: #applyks #whyapply

2023 Why Apply Pic

 Why Apply resources

FAQ

When is the campaign?

The Apply Kansas campaign is an application completion event held annually between September - November. Your high school can pick a day (or multiple days) during the fall months to conduct an event. Some schools charge application fees, while others do not. Check out the Apply Free Days page for more information. Many schools plan their event around the Kansas Apply Free Days or around the month of October which is the state's "College Application Month". 

How do I register my school? 

Click here to complete a short registration form.

Are community organizations allowed to hold an event?

Absolutely!  All events are welcome to support seniors with their post-secondary plans. Get in touch with the State Coordinator to register. 

Should I register if my school is small or if we host a similar event?

YES!  Register your school for Apply Kansas even if you are currently conducting a program or your school is small.  Tracking state-wide participation helps evaluate the impact Kansas schools have on their students. Team up with a participating neighboring school or district. See below list of Apply Kansas participating high schools for 2024. 

What’s involved in conducting an event?

Your school’s site coordinator will select the date, reserve a computer lab, secure volunteers, and report campaign results.  Apply Kansas and KBOR provide free resources to help with the planning process (see links above).  You know what your students need most, so as long as you can get us your summary data, we’ll support you with resources and anything else you need to have a successful event

Is there training to help us get started?

YES!  We are scheduling in-person training and virtual training sessions. Dates and locations will be listed on this page. The virtual session will also have registration and be open for you to interact with other participants virtually. We will also record the virtual session for anyone who is unable to fit any of the trainings into their schedule.  All sessions will contain the same information, so you just need to pick one date. Training sessions will give you the opportunity to see all the resources available to you, meet other Apply Kansas coordinators, and understand the best way to gather your summary data at the end of your event.

Apply Kansas Training: Starting in 2022, most Apply Kansas Trainings are combined with a counselor college event! Site Coordinators will spend the first half of the training learning about the Apply Kansas program, picking up their swag items, and interacting with other site coordinators. Then, following the training, site coordinators will review information about the host institutions and be able to attend a walking tour of the campus. Each year, we will select different institutions across the state to host our Apply Kanas training events. All training sessions are in person unless specifically noted below. 

Can virtual students and schools participate?

Absolutely! We want to support all students and schools. Team up with a public library or community organization to offer an in person event or hold a virtual event! 

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Questions?

Contact Mistie Knox (785) 430-4279

Follow Apply Kansas on social media!

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