You probably don’t need me to tell you that when applying for college, there will be a lot of competition. Want to go to Yale? How about Duke? If you’re set and determined to go to that university, you can be sure that every other student whose application is stacked above yours is more determined than you are. Fox Business posted an article a couple weeks ago giving students advice as to how to improve your chance in getting accepted into a university:
1. Apply for a Variety of Colleges
While colleges such as Duke and Yale are more prestigious, it would be a good idea to consider other options as well. Safety schools, as the article calls them, are lower on the academic scale, which means that they’re easier to get into. Also, since you would be a little higher on the academic spectrum, you’re chances of getting scholarships would be a little higher too. Now this doesn’t really help you get accepted into the university of your choice so much as it helps you to broaden your horizon, because colleges will reject you.
2. Take Advantage of Early Decision
Early Decision is offered by many colleges and universities as a means for students to simply burn off the first options on their list before summer comes around. Many accept applications by the end of the first half of the school year and some even accept a second round by the start of the next calender year. Try applying for three colleges in the first round, and if non of those accept you, pick the next three on the list and apply to those in the second round. If none of them select you, then at least that’s six less you have to apply for in the summer.
3. In Your Personal Essay, Show What You Do
This really should be #1. For many, it’s hard to get away from just presenting yourself with a laundry list of academic accomplishments and honors you may have obtained through high school. You need to elaborate on what you’ve done and remember: give it personality. It shows them that you’re passionate about what you’ve done, which in turn tells them that you’re more determined than that applicants before you. Aside from the essay, you may want to find people in the community that know you very well and and can write a good letter of recommendation for you.
This may not be the most helpful when it comes to getting you accept into the college of your choice, but I do hope it gives you direction as to how to approach the college application process. you want a sizable list of colleges that you’re interested in; you never want to restrict yourself to just one. Applying for college isn’t like applying for a job, where you can turn your application into the head honcho and bug them repeatedly week by week until they finally give in to your demands (you can try if you want, though). Either you get in, or you don’t.
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