When you apply to college, they look into your test scores, essays, and high school grades to make a decision. If your documents are perfect, you probably shoot for the top schools. If you do dream about Ivy League and similar selective colleges, then follow these five important tips.
1. Good Grades
Grades do not always reflect your personality or academic accomplishments but they are rather a reflection of how much you have learned in your courses. Grades serve as the foundation when it comes to choosing a school, as selective schools will take in only the best. There is a lot of competition for most of the programmes but grades act as an important factor in deciding whether you get in or not. Getting accepted to a college is one thing but receiving scholarships on the basis of grades can be overwhelming.
It has been observed that test scores can be one-day assessment where anxiety, inadequate sleep and distractions have an impact but your grades are the consistent performance throughout the year. In addition, if you’re applying for the particular fields such as for engineering then your math grades are very important. Most of students focus on tests, get recommendation letters, crack interviews but none of these matters if you don’t have good grades.
2. Write Killer Essays
When you apply to a college, you have to submit an essay as a part of the application. It is a good opportunity to show your talent that you are not able to show in other areas of your application. Choose the attractive topic in which you have enough knowledge to impress the admission officers. Try to think of a creative approach while writing your essay highlighting the areas that aren’t covered in the application.
Don’t try to cover too many topics and focus on one aspect of your essay so that an admission officer will understand you in a better way. Avoid using common topics and phrases that have been used so many times that they make admission officers sick. Try to keep your own voice and make it absolutely unique. You can also hire essay writing services to increase the chances of admissions. Here is the paperhelp.org review that is a good example of such service.
3. Prioritize
You have to maintain the right balance between school tests and entrance exams. Divide time to study for SAT, ACT or other exams but don’t feel pulled in any direction. There are priorities for everything – your grades may rank first, then comes your extracurricular activities and lastly the scores of entrance exams. It also depends on the college admission process to weigh these priorities. Hence you should spend your time accordingly to get into a college of your dream.
Organizing your time according to priorities will not only help to stay focused but also you will feel less stressed and perform well in the admissions. Focus more time on the topics that are complicated and less time on the subjects you are confident about. Prepare your schedule keeping time for sleep, leisure, eating, refreshing and follow it strictly to manage the time wisely.
4. Show Your Interest
Demonstrating your interest in college is definitely worthy in the process of admission. You can check online information about a college and subscribe to their newsletters to stay updated with every program that will take place. There are many useful apps and websites with that information. Generally, an admission officer is assigned to you on the basis of region. You can send an introductory email to him or her describing your interest in the particular selective college. In fact, you can ask targeted questions about the programmes of the college.
5. Apply Early
If you’re sure about your dream college then there is no reason to wait. Most importantly, if you fulfil the criteria for entering this college, then you should apply early. By performing this you can stay relaxed and stress-free. The early action is beneficial for two important reasons. First one is you can compare different schools and take more time to make your final decision. Secondly, you can get aid in financial matters. For example, if you get admitted to two colleges then you can opt for the one that provides better financial plans and programmes.
These are the five important tips that will get you into a selective college so that you start a new chapter of your life.
