You know what happens to your college application before you drop it in the mailbox. What happens next is less clear. Here, professionals from schools big and small share some insight. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the college admissions process at places like the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Tom Glenn, UIC’s director of admissions, says the school gets 50,000 applications each year. But the video’s real gem is Glenn walking you through the path of an application. Knowing each step will help you make sure your app doesn’t get lost in the 500,000 pieces of paper that come across the college admissions desk.

He also gives great insight into the competitiveness of the process. “We have more qualified applicants than space,” he says.

This means you need any edge you can get. I’m not saying you need to take notes during the video, but you might want to stick around to the end.