The college admissions process might feel like a minefield to potential students,
regardless of whether they only have one ideal school in mind, intend to apply to all
the top universities, or simply want to stay close to home. But there are several
general considerations to keep in mind during your time in high school that will
increase your chances of success at selective universities, in addition to having a
firm understanding of the calendar and application requirements.
The admission process for colleges is already a demanding procedure. When you’re
focused on getting accepted to your ideal school, the pressure can feel unbearable.
College looms in the imaginations of students as this enormous jump into maturity
that everyone must do at some point, even though it may not be for everyone. Where
do you even begin, even if some parents may have made advance plans to assist
their kids with the high and rising expenditures of a higher education?
Many students decide which college they want to attend in the future. They
occasionally conduct broad research on nearby institutions to learn about their
options. If students are concerned about money, perhaps they will check into
scholarships they could be eligible for.
Students looking for help on how to persuade the college admissions
committee to accept their application may read the following suggestions:
- Understand your choices
Identifying your goals is the most crucial step you can take in the college
application process. What kind of institution will you be pleased in? What do
you intend to learn? What about high school has been the most significant?
Who do you want to become and who are you now?
Understanding where you’ve been and where you see yourself heading will be
essential to creating an amazing, captivating application story because you’ll
be addressing these questions in a variety of ways during the application
process. - Study with dedication and hard
Working hard in school is the finest thing you can do for your college
application. Even though college can be many different things, its main
purpose is to further your knowledge. That means you must achieve
academic success in high school!
When reviewing your applications, the admissions committee will be looking
for evidence that you are a capable student who can benefit from their
resources. In other words, they want to see a high school GPA that is
impressive and stellar academic results. Some people could even want
graded paper. - Ask for guidance and support from close members
It’s exhausting to submit a college application on your own. There is a lot to
keep in mind, such as the deadlines, interviews, visits, and other events, as
well as the numerous moving pieces of the application itself (such as essays
tailored to the school and letters of reference from teachers).
Along with your parents, visit schools. To discover more about family friends,
inquire about the various schools they attended. Practice conducting
interviews, and have a parent or trustworthy friend look over your essays.
Don’t be scared to ask for assistance; this process is practically doable on
your own. - Keep check on College Applications
Remember that applying to colleges doesn’t just happen during your senior
year—we’ve written more extensively about this here. It’s crucial to start
looking into and visiting schools in your junior year because you’ll have more
time.
Actually, college admissions committee members consider your entire high
school record. This is not to imply that you must have a flawless application
on the first day of your freshman year, but the decisions you make along the
road will eventually show up in your application. - Write a good personal essay
The personal statement is essential for college admission, particularly as
more institutions decide to waive their SAT/ACT requirements. The NACAC
poll found that more than half of the colleges gave the essay or writing sample
at least a substantial amount of weight.
One of the best opportunities to market yourself is in the essay. “A stand-out
essay reveals to the admissions team who the student is outside of a GPA or
test score,” claims Skeldon.
Spend some time coming up with a distinct viewpoint and selecting the best
prompt for you. The telling of an intimate, captivating story should be your
aim.
- Prepare for exams (SAT or CAT)
Whether you like it or not, standardized test results are a critical component of
most institutions’ admission processes. It’s crucial to obtain a high score on
the SAT or ACT that you may include with the rest of your college application.
Fortunately, your SAT score is something you can improve with study and
planning; it is not something that is given down from above. Make sure you
finally have high test scores whether you take practice exams on your own,
participate in official test preparation with a tutor or class, and/or take the
formal exam several times during your junior year (or before). - Work on extracurricular activities
There are 24 hours in a day for each of us, yet none of us have the ability to
stop or slow down time. There is therefore a cap on how much you can
include on your college application. Some kids go above and beyond by
striving to participate in everything. Unfortunately, they are wasting their time
by doing this.
It’s crucial to realize that you have a certain amount of time and energy, and
that colleges will be more impressed by your serious dedication to a few
passions than by your dabbling in a hundred other things. Early exploration is
good, but by your junior year you should know which groups and activities are
worthwhile and which are not. - Involve yourself in Community Service
It is impossible to exaggerate the value of community service in your entire
college application profile. Selective colleges assess prospective students’
maturity and empathy by looking at how involved they are in their
communities, particularly with those who are different from them.
There is no right or wrong way to give back to your community; you might
choose to take part in a project that is directly relevant to your interests or
simply set aside time to assist others however you can. Whatever method you
choose, you should make a commitment to giving back to your community at
least once a month and more if you can.
- Get strong LORs
Colleges rely significantly on your reference letters in addition to your
application essays to assess your academic and personal qualities. In
general, you should ask two teachers to write letters on your behalf.
Additionally, your school counselor will submit a letter.
Remember to ask early, in person, and from teachers who know you well
when you need a letter of recommendation. They don’t necessarily have to be
the instructors whose classes you scored the highest in. Always prefer a letter
that is enthusiastic and personal. - Do everything time to time
You may already be aware of the benefits of applying early. Even if there are
some good reasons not to—perhaps your ideal college doesn’t offer ED or
you need extra time in the academic year to complete your applications—it is
still something to carefully consider. Since you must ultimately select just one
school, why not select it in November as opposed to April?
Applying early action to as many areas as you can is likewise recommended.
Early action applications can nevertheless help you express your keen
interest, get the application off your desk, and find out in December rather
than March even if they are not as legally enforceable as early decision
applications.
You could be asking yourself at this point, “How can I keep track of all this stuff?”
How do I decide what needs to be prioritised when? Where do school searches fit in
with starting a group, giving back to the community, and achieving good grades in
challenging courses?
You’ll want someone who can genuinely assist with the entire process, from helping
you construct your story to managing deadlines to identifying colleges that are truly
the ideal fit for you.Our expert counsellors will help you. Reach out to us, now.
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