Top Ten Tips for the College Bound
Have you started your college planning yet? If you’re a high school senior or just someone interested in going back to school, here are the top ten tips for preparing for college…
1. Enroll in the most challenging high school courses that you can handle. Continue to work hard and push yourself all the way to the end. Don’t get “senioritis” and take all easy courses. Strong academic preparation all the way through makes you a better admissions candidate and it greatly improves your chances of success in college.
2. Take the SAT or ACT early like in your sophomore year. This will give you the opportunity to practice, get on college mailing lists and see your strengths and weakness as compared to other students throughout the country. These students are your future competition.
3. Spend time creating your very own “College Wish List.” Include things like location, size, academic programs, campus environment and extracurricular activities.
4. After your wish list is created, check out the academic profiles of students most likely to get in. This will give you a good idea of where you stand.
5. Don’t eliminate any schools just because of money. Explore financial aid and scholarship options.
6. Don’t go crazy joining every club. Your strength of preparation (coursework), grades and standardized tests generally carry more weight than extracurricular activities. Plus, colleges will be much more impressed by a strong commitment to just a few extracurricular activities than limited participation in many activities.
7. Don’t rule at any school just because you’ve never heard of it before. Explore all of your options. Be sure to attend college fairs, meet with college representatives, read literature from college mailings, consult with your guidance counselor and do your own research online.
8. Make a hierarchy of the schools on your wish list. Make sure you include some reach schools at the top and safety schools at the bottom.
9. Visit as many schools as you can and make sure you ask lots of questions.
10. Never attend a college or university that you have never visited.
With so many college bound students, the com
petition for getting admitted to your top school can be pretty tough. Many colleges are looking for well-rounded students, so don’t be alarmed if you have a few bad grades or a low SAT score or not enough community service. The key is to make yourself stand out from the bunch. However, while getting into a college with tough admission requirements may be a stretch (sometimes all “A” students don’t even get in) don’t worry because there are plenty of colleges out there for you to get a quality education and still have a good chance of getting in. What’s important when applying to college is to play down your weaknesses and play up your strengths. Here are ten tips to help you with the process…
1. Request an interview at colleges that don’t necessarily require them. With an interview you can exhibit your character strengths that transcripts, GPAs and standardized test scores don’t reflect.
2. Apply during mid-year when admissions are less competitive than in the high-pressure fall season.
3. Look for colleges with pre-admission programs that ease students into the college they want to attend.
4. Consider schools in all different areas. Some strong colleges look for more geographical diversity and will consider students with weaker grades if they are from another part of the country.
5. If you have weak standardized test scores, you should consider colleges where SAT and ACT scores are optional.
6. Consider attending a community college for two years and then transfer to a four year school. Many states have guaranteed admissions programs where if you complete a two year degree from a community college then you will be guaranteed admission into an in state university.
7. Look at schools with high admission rates. These schools offer admission to 96% – 100% of its applicants:
8. Consider going the unconventional route and try out online colleges which are growing in popularity. These are online schools with a 100% acceptance rate:
University of Phoenix
9 .Really sell yourself on the admissions essay. Let them know what makes you unique and different. Play up your strengths. Try and tell a compelling story.
10. You should still apply to the top college that you want to go to even if it is your reach school. There is always a chance. Just be sure to back it up by applying to a few safety schools as well as in state universities.
Filed in: Advice, Campuses & Programs, College Preparation.
