What is Apply Idaho?
Each year, more than 12,000 Idaho seniors apply for free to 10 of Idaho public colleges and universities through our online college application platform. Learn more about applying by following our step-by-step guide below.
Before You Apply
Step 1 - Gather Materials
Get a head start by collecting this information before you begin:
- EDUID
- Mailing Address
- Graduation Date
- Desired enrollment date
Step 2 - Create an account
Creating an Apply Idaho account is easy and should only take a few minutes.
- First, you’ll be asked to read Apply Idaho’s Terms and Conditions.
- Next, you will need to provide basic information about yourself like your name, EDUID, and date of birth. Be sure to use your legal name as it appears on official school documents and standardized tests. This will make sure we can connect you to your high school grades and test scores.
- Finally, you’ll need to provide an email address.
Counselor Tip
Colleges and universities may need to get in touch with you during the application process.
Use an email address that you check regularly. DO NOT use your high school email address.
Step 3 - Check out colleges
Check out the schools where you’ve already met the admissions requirements
- Once you’ve created your account, check out your Direct Admissions Letter to discover the colleges where you’ve already met the admissions requirements.
- Use the Next Steps Idaho College Directory to learn more about the schools listed on your letter.
- Talk with a trusted adult about the schools you feel are a best fit for you.
- When your ready to make a decision, click on the Apply button.
Step 4 - Verify your account
To submit your application, you must verify your email.
- Login to the email you used to create your account and look for an email from ApplyIdaho@osbe.idaho.gov
- Click on the verification link in that email.
NOTE: You will not be able to submit your application until you verify your email address.
Counselor Tips
- Don’t see the email – check your SPAM folder.
- Make sure to click on the verification link, do not respond to the sender.
Application Guide
Pages 1 & 2 - Personal Info & Addresses
A bit about you
Personal Information
We will need basic information about you like your preferred name (you can use your nickname here), home address, SSN, phone number, etc.
At the end, you will need to adjust your communication preference to let us know if you’re okay receiving text messages from Apply Idaho and the colleges where you apply.

Address Information
Review your permanent address provided by your high school and make sure to update it if you’ve moved.
If you receive mail at another location, make sure to fill that out so colleges and universities can send you correspondence like your acceptance letter as well as information on registration and housing.
Watch out if you use your browser to autofill that it captures the correct information.

Page 3 - Application Information
Indicate your Graduation and Build your College List
Let us know what school you’re graduating from and as well as your estimated graduation date.
No need to know the exact day but we do need the exact month and year.
Example: May 2023

Now it’s time to let us know when you plan to enroll in college.
Apply Idaho lets you select either the summer term or the upcoming fall term following your high school graduation.

Okay, let’s start choosing colleges. Click on the Select Institutions/Majors button.
- Get the process started by searching for a major…
- The system will highlight any of the schools that offer that major.
- Click on the schools that you’re interested in, review the matching majors and once you’ve decided on one, select “add” (Reminder: You can be undecided)
- Keep in mind: you can only add one major per school
- If you want to apply to more than one school, then you need to select a major at every school you think you might want to attend.
- When you’re done click NEXT

Before moving on, review your list of selected institutions.
- Review your list of selected institutions/majors.
- When you’re satisfied you’ve applied to all the schools you’re interested in, click NEXT.

Page 4 - Supplemental Questions
Organize and plan your writing prompts
Insitution-specific supplemental questions
While the majority of these questions are optional we encourage you to complete them as schools use them for scholarship consideration as well as to match you to needed resources like housing.
Note: If you’re unweighted GPA is 2.8 or lower you will be required to complete some institution-specific supplemental questions.

With a little bit of planning, organizing, and drafting, we can help you make the task of responding to supplemental questions manageable.
- Be prepared to answer questions about your parents or legal guardian by checking out this resource.
- Many colleges include short answer questions or essay prompts within this section. You can find specific information about each college’s individual writing prompts here.
Step 5 - Application Summary
Review your application
GPA and College Entrance Exams
- Review the GPA and Test data displayed on the screen.
- Check the box if you feel like your state-reported GPA or test score is incorrect.
NOTE: If you check one of the boxes to indicate your state reported data is incorrect you will receive instructions on how to update that information with your selected colleges and universities on your application confirmation page as well as in your confirmation email.

Personal Info
You will either see the COMPLETE or you will see a warning if you elected to not include your social security number (SSN) when you completed the personal information section of your application.
Don’t worry both of these options will not prohibit you from submitting your application.

Application Information
This is the most important section of your application to review.
If you see anything besides COMPLETE in this section you will need to make the required updates to your application information listed on page three before you’re able to submit it.
REMINDER: Until you see the word COMPLETE in this section, the submit button at the top of the page will remain grayed out.

Supplemental Questions
Supplemental questions are optional but we strongly encourage you to respond to the supplemental questions as they are used by colleges and universities to help match you to resources such as housing and institution financial aid.
REMINDER: If you’re unweighted GPA is 2.8 or lower make sure you’ve responded to the required supplemental questions. You won’t be able to submit unit those supplemental questions are complete.

Step 6 - Application Submission
Time to submit your application
Submit Your Application
Once you’ve reviewed your application summary page and fixed any missing information, it’s time to submit your application(s).
Navigate up to the top of the screen and click on the “Submit” button.
Reminder: If you come back in to edit your application or add another application to your record you’ll need to be sure to come back to the Application Summary page and click on the “Resubmit” button.
Contact Institutions Popup
If you checked the box to indicate your GPA and/or College Entrance Exam score provided by the state doesn’t match your actual score, then this popup box will appear.
Make sure to take a screenshot so you know how to provide the college(s) you applied to your correct scores.

Application Success
An application confirmation page will appear once you’ve successfully submitted your application. You will also receive a confirmation email in your inbox (check your SPAM folder if you don’t see it).
Consider: taking the next steps and submitting an application for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship. You can do so directly from your confirmation page.

Double Check Your Application Status
Log back into your Apply Idaho account to confirm your application(s) have been successfully submitted and check to see when the college(s) you’ve applied to receive it.

Get ready to begin your journey
Walk through the application with us before you apply. We’ll look at approaching the application and hear advice from your Next Steps Idaho team.
General Answers
Need help getting your application to the finish line? Check out these helpful topics and if you still have questions, reach out to us at ApplyIdaho@OSBE.Idaho.gov
Deadlines
Apply Idaho opens each year on Oct 3 and closes on June 30
To meet the application deadline, you must submit your application materials by 11:59 pm June 30. Keep in mind, all timestamps are recorded in MST (US Mountain Standard Time).
It is always better to submit well before 11:59 pm to avoid last minute issues with your computer or internet access that might cause you to miss the deadline!
Registration
Who can use Apply Idaho?
Currently Apply Idaho is only open to Idaho High School Seniors enrolled in an Idaho public high school or charter school, Idaho Homeschool students and to Idaho Private School students whose schools have elected to participate in this state sponsored application
What is my EDUID?
- For many students this is your identification number provided by your high school. If it is not, ask the staff at your high school.
- If you’re an Idaho homeschool student who has taken a class at an Idaho public or charter school, reach out to them for assistance. If you’ve not taken a class at an Idaho public or charter school you can request an EDUID from the Idaho State Board of Education by emailing applyidaho@osbe.idaho.gov
Why do you need my EDUID?
Apply Idaho uses your EDUID as your unique student identifier so that when institutions receive your application(s) they know it represents one unique student – YOU!
Is there a cost for me to apply?
There will be no cost for students using this Apply Idaho feature. You may still apply from a college or university website. There may be a fee to apply from a college or university website.
What if I cannot remember my password?
If you need to reset your password, just hit Forgot password on the Login page and it will walk you through the process of resetting your password.
Account Confirmation
I haven’t received my confirmation email?
- Double check you’re using your PERSONAL email, not one provided by the school. School accounts often block external emails.
- SPAM filters & typing errors are also racking up some casualties. So, check your SPAM folder and double-check you entered your email address correctly into Apply Idaho.
- Make sure your email account isn’t full. Has it exceeded the storage limit for the mailbox error; undeliverable? If so, then make sure their accounts have enough memory/space to accept new messages
How long is a verification email active?
A verification email remains active for 24 hours. If you haven’t clicked on the verification link within that timeframe you will need to request a new one.
Direct Admissions Letters
What if I am senior who transferred from out of state?
While you might have missed out on receiving your Direct Admissions letter in the mail, you can view it once you’re created your Apply Idaho account.
Can I only apply to the colleges listed on my Direct Admissions Letter?
You can apply to any colleges listed in Apply Idaho but be aware that if you apply to a college not listed on your Direct Admissions letter you will need to meet additional admissions requirements.
Profile
How do I indicate that I am enrolled in multiple tribes?
If you are enrolled in multiple tribes, please select your primary tribe from the list in the “Please choose the tribe you are enrolled in” question.
What does “US dual citizen” mean?
When selecting U.S. Dual Citizen, it implies that you are a citizen of the United States and another country.
What if I don’t have a social security number?
If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), you do not need to enter anything in the Social Security Number field (it is not required). This field refers to U.S. citizens only.
College Selection
How do I add a college to my application?
- From page #3 click on Select Institutions/Majors
- Search available majors.
- The schools with that major will highlight in yellow.
- Check the box in front of one of the schools you’re interested in applying to and a list of majors will pop up.
- In the Results List, click on the add button for ONE major.
- Repeat steps 3-4 until you’ve selected a major from each school you’re interested in applying to.
- When done, click next and double check the Selected Institutions/Majors section on screen 3 is correct before proceeding to the next step.
How many colleges can I apply to?
You are not limited to the number of colleges you can apply to within Apply Idaho, but a best practice would be to select a safe school, target school, and reach school.
Can I add a college or university at a later time?
Yes, you may submit your application to another college or university. You will need to update your application and hit the submit/resubmit button to complete this process.
Supplemental Questions
Is there a limit to the number of edits I can make to the supplemental questions once I've submitted an application?
- There are no limits to the number of edits you can make, but please keep in mind the more times you edit your application(s) the longer it will take for the institution(s) to make an admission decision on your behalf.
- REMINDER– You MUST RESUBMIT your application(s) after you edit your answers.
What is the min/max word count on supplemental essay questions?
Keep in mind the maximum word count for any supplemental essay question is 2000 characters including spaces and punctuation. Anything longer than that will truncate your response.
What are some best practices for completing supplemental essays in Apply Idaho?
- Keep a file on your computer with a backup of your essays
- If you are pasting your essay into the Apply Idaho, paste it first into Note Pad or Text Edit, and then paste it into Apply Idaho to avoid formatting irregularities
- Always double check that the content appears correctly and, in its entirety,
- Be sure to proofread your essays for any typos
- There is no save button – so anything you type is saved – but it’s not automatically submitted so make sure to click on the submit button after reviewing your application.
Summary Page
What if my unweighted GPA is not showing up correctly on the Summary page?
If your unweighted GPA is not correct, make sure to check the box that lets us know. You will receive specific institution instructions on how to provide them with your updated unweighed GPA on your confirmation page as well as in your confirmation email.
What if my test scores are not showing up correctly on the Summary page?
If your test scores are not correct, make sure to check the box that lets us know. You will receive specific institution instructions on how to provide them with your updated test scores on your confirmation page as well as in your confirmation email.
Submission
What data will be sent to the colleges and universities I apply to?
In addition to the questions, you answer during the application process, the system will be sending the institutions your High School, Dual Credit, ACT, and SAT data as reported to the state. This data will only be provided to the colleges and institutions you apply to.
Can I stop the process of applying and return to complete the required information later?
Yes, you have the option to return to your account and complete your application. However, once you have hit the “submit” button your application will be sent to your institution of choice.
What do I do if I change my mind and want to change or eliminate one of my college/university choices?
You can add a new college/university and intended major at anytime, but you can only remove a selected institution if that institution has not yet processed your application.
Note: Any changes made to the list of Intended Majors and Institutions will require that the application be resubmitted.
System Requirements
What are the system requirements to use Apply Idaho?
- PC (Windows version 10 or version 8.1)
- Mac (OS version 10.14 or higher)
- Email: if your email offers a list of allowed addresses, please add the following: applyidaho@osbe.idaho.gov