Applying to college with my "nickname" instead of my full name?

So, I’m in the process of applying to college. It says that “Your full legal name should be included [on all documents]”. I’ve been under the impression that, at least according to the “US government“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_name#United_States, it’s fine to use your nickname as your true name (ie Jen instead of Jennifer, Stacy instead of Anastasia, Mike instead of Michael, etc) so long as you apply it consistently and without intent to deceive. So, here’s my question: Can I use (for example) Jen Smith, instead of Jennifer Smith on my college application? What about middle names and initials – do I have to include that?