Getting into college may be one of the best ways to live the life of your dreams. However, the challenges that come along with it have to be overcome.
The application and acceptance to your dream college or university needs determination, effort and the support of your family and school professionals.
There are also numerous requirements to be fulfilled in order to apply and get accepted, like earning good grades, creative essays, and letters. The requirements may overwhelm you, but it is not an impossible task.
With the right mindset and preparation, the road to your dream college is just a step away.
To help you prepare and plan for your ultimate goal, here are the top 10 tips to increase your chances of landing into college:
1. Know And Understand Yourself
Knowing and understanding yourself gives you the confidence to talk about your accomplishments and capabilities.
During entry interviews, you can elaborate on concrete plans and goals, how you stand out from other candidates or applicants and your purpose for attending college.
You can start by listing your strengths and weaknesses or traits and areas you can improve upon. By doing this, you can evaluate yourself better and be confident of what you can do.
2. Get The Support And Blessing Of Your Family
The support of your family plays a vital role in this journey. Speak with them regarding approval and recommendation for different colleges.
Most applicants who came from families with financial inconsistency are demotivated because they feel like they are burdening their loved ones with the extra cost.
However, there are numerous college funding bodies that can provide you aid. Talk to them about scholarships and other financial aid you could get to bring clarity to the situation.
3. Seek Guidance From School Professionals
This may be your home room teacher, guidance counselors or college admission counselors. It is important to be guided by people who have already experienced and accomplished what you aim for.
Do not be shy because this will have a big impact on your understanding and motivation. It will definitely prove helpful if there are people behind you in this challenge.
4. Focus On Academics
Good grades are necessary to enter your dream college. Most of the time, the GPA you achieve in high school will be the basis of the courses you can take in college.
Some colleges also evaluate the weighted versus unweighted GPA to obtain an overview of how you perform in your studies.
Academic awards, honors and extracurricular activities also help you in getting credits for college admissions. With that in mind, you must strive to earn the best GPA you can in high school because it shows your credibility as a student.
5. Take Standardized Examinations
Aside from GPA, another factor that most colleges consider are standardized exams. These exams are usually held for a large pool of examinees around the country.
Exams like SAT and ACT are common examples of standardized examinations. The exam is usually composed of writing, reading comprehension, mathematics, science and logical reasoning.
Taking these exams will help you evaluate your standing among other students in the country. The data will give you an idea whether you have to exert more effort in preparing for college test admissions.
You can also take multiple standardized exams and retake them if you are not satisfied with your previous scores.
6. Carry Out Research And Visits
Researching and visiting colleges helps you to narrow down your choices. On the research side, you can gather information about academics at the school, their curriculums and what courses they offer. To get a feel for the ambience and vibe of the whole school, visit some special purpose rooms for both studies and other activities.
You can visit a college anytime as your schedule permits, but one of the best times to visit a school is when they are holding their college fair. This showcases the unique features of the school and most faculty are on hand during the said event.
Some colleges give credits to applicants who are visiting the campus because it shows determination and willingness to learn, and adapt to the campus atmosphere.
7. Apply Early
Sending your college application early increases your chance of getting admitted. A lot of colleges admit students with such applications because they have early action and early decision rounds.
The two rounds are the same in nature, but the early decision system has a binding factor in which you need to attend the college wherein you have been accepted. Otherwise, the early action does not have any binding factor.
Even though you get accepted, you still have the freedom to choose what college or university you want to go to.
Applying early can also give the college staff time to assess your application properly. When you send the application at the same time as many other students, your application may be overlooked because of the numerous applications that need checking.
8. Practice Your Essay Writing
It is the norm for most colleges to include at least one essay as a requirement for the applicants. This is an opportunity to showcase your knowledge, personality and express yourself, aside from your good grades and achievements.
You can look back on your past experiences and hardships that developed your character and made you who you are today. An engaging essay will help develop their interest in your journey and may give you the credit you deserve.
Be sure to get feedback and suggestions from your family, friends and key teachers on the essay, so you can make revisions that will show your whole personality and interest in going to college.
9. Acquire Recommendation Letters
Having letters of recommendation from your school is a great addition to your college application. These letters will show your character through the eyes of the people you interact with every day.
Good grades and test scores cannot describe your character, so having the feedback from your guidance counselor and teachers on how they view you as a person will surely matter.
10. Elevate Your Online Reputation
With the rapid rise of digital technology, colleges also check your online reputation. There are many social media platforms, like Instagram and Twitter, from which they can get more information about you.
This may be a factor in your admission if there is some questionable content associated with your name, so be sure to clean up unwanted or disagreeable posts.
Improve Your Chances of Getting Into College
There are many challenges you may face during your college application, like your studies, family and surrounding environment.
But if you are determined and put a lot of effort into it, you will be one step closer to getting into your dream college.
Remember that you can go at your own pace to reduce the pressure and these tips will surely help you with gaining admission.
