Helpful College Admissions Tips
Posted on June 23, 2008
Its fall-senior year of high school. The weather is getting cooler and the amount of school events and activities planned are piling up. Buying class rings, preparing for Homecoming and senior class trips are all many students can think about at this time. Despite all the excitement and the crush of planning that happens in senior year-no amount of reveling and celebration can surpass the frenetic pace of yet another high school senior tradition-applying to colleges. College admission becomes a very real part of life that can sometimes be overwhelming.
If senior year of high school is the first time a student even thinks about applying to a college, then the college admissions process will be that much harder for them to navigate. The key to success in college admissions is to start early; preferably in junior year of high school. Most colleges have application and admission deadlines that are open months, and sometimes, in excess of a year before the expected starting date.
College admissions can be a tricky part of the college search process. Its the time in a students life when they have virtually no control over the outcome. Once an application is sent and all transcripts, reference letters and other accompanying documents reach the school-the decision is pretty much in the hands of admissions officials.
There are, however, many things that a student can do in order to increase their odds of admission into a particular school. The first thing a student should do, as was mentioned before, is start early. Waiting until the last minute to search for colleges or apply can mean that many spots will be taken by early decision students whove already applied.
Another tip for college admission success would be getting others involved in the application process. Asking pertinent questions of guidance counselors and using the resources they have available can be quite advantageous. Guidance counselors know more about the college admissions process than most other people students may have access to. Also, running important decisions by parents and other family members can also be helpful-as some of these people have gone through the same stressful situation, too.
Knowing the criteria that a college uses for admission is the most important part of applying to college. College admissions criteria can be myriad and different from one school to the next. While most school are very strict about deadlines for applying, for instance, some school have whats called open enrollment, which allows a student to apply year round without penalty. Also, while test scores from SATs and other standardized tests are important with some colleges, others put more emphasis on the student being well-rounded and multi-talented. The point is, knowing what is most important to a particular school is important.
Many students, although they are wise enough to start early and get outside help, do themselves a disservice by not properly weighing their options. Its easy to not properly research schools enough before applying, or to only research a few options. Having a small college pool or too many options can be limiting, and makes the admissions process more complicated than it should be. Three to five colleges is a good range to consider when applying to colleges.
Taking the process of college admissions in stride is important. Obsessing over details can distract a prospective student from whats really important-acceptance into a school of choice. The more organized and thought out the approach to college admissions, the more time a college senior will have to think about more pressing matters; such as booking a limo for the prom.
When not writing about college admissions and college life Veronica Krully enjoys spending time with her family and supporting the local college. She is an avid swimmer and runner.
Intimidated By The College Entrance Essay?
This is unfortunate because they are not required to write like Descartes. They only have to write simply and logically their personal experiences.Wh...
Make Your College Essay Stand Out From The Crowd!
As a former dean with over fifteen years of admissions experience, I can tell you that the college essay can make or break your application. This is t...
How To Get The College Acceptance Letter From The One That You Most Want To Attend
Certainly by improving your chances of being accepted for the college of your choice means that you are provided with a wealth of opportunities relati...
US News and World Report Rankings Need Changes
There have been a lot of questions about the new college rankings, particularly what sort of methodology was used to assess hundreds of schools throug...
Pharmcas Pharmacy Schools That Do Not Require The PCAT And The 2 Big Tips When Applying
There are many Pharmcas pharmacy schools that don't require the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT). These schools are mainly located in the West ...
Getting Free Money For College - How Hard Is It?
There is plenty of scholarship money out there. Some sources estimate there is between $60 and $70 billion available in college and university scholar...
College Personal Essay
How can a student optimize his personal essay to make better his chances to be admitted into college?Know the purpose of a personal essay. You want to...
Choosing The Right College Major
Choosing a major for college can be a daunting task. Even for students already attending a college, being undeclared is more of a norm than not. Tenta...
When Your Homeschooler Hits College Age
When you first decide to homeschool your child, it can be overwhelming. All sorts of questions abound: what should we study; how; am I qualified? Aft...
Admission Essays - Why They Are Important
Every year hundreds of otherwise eligible candidates get rejected leaving both candidates and their parents wondering what went wrong. The answer to t...
A Comprehensive Review of Filling Medical School Applications
A medical school is an institution that teaches medicine and trains its students into becoming successful medical practitioners. Different medical ins...
The Worst Question
"What do the admissions people want?"That is such a common, innocent-looking question. I hear it all the time from r prospective clients, clients, and...
The Importance Of Standardized Tests For College
Standardized tests taken by college students nationally are heavily weighed as part of a complete application. There is obviously trepidation and stre...
Getting Into Pharmacy Schools in California and the 3 Big Tips
If you're interested in getting into a pharmacy school in California you should know all of the pharmacy schools located in CA. This way you will have...
The Guide to Obtaining Your College Degree
As you read every word of this article, you will become amazed at how many minute aspects of the college process are unknown, even to college students...
» Filed Under
Online University