Give College Applications Your Very Best Efforts

Getting into college is a piece of cake. Getting into the “right” college or the one you really want to attend isn’t so easy.

Start by considering two basic questions: How should you go about choosing a college? And, how do admission directors go about choosing students for their college?

Clearly you have the ability to influence your college choices. Believe it or not, you also have the ability to influence admission committees throughout the application process.

Here are some practical suggestions:

Take a personal inventory to help focus your search.

Ask yourself questions such as: What do I expect to get out of the college experience? What kind of students do I want to surround myself with? Am I interested in attending a large public research university, or am I more concerned about individual attention and the quality of undergraduate instruction?

What type of location and campus setting appeal to me?

Know what you’re looking for in a college before you start looking at colleges.

Take an academic inventory.

Face the facts (good or bad) as you become intimately familiar with your grade-point average, class rank, and SAT or ACT score.

What are your academic interests? Have you thought about a possible major?

What are you passionate about studying in college? What are your academic strengths and weaknesses?

Be realistic in matching your academic achievement and ability with a college.

Spend time surfing the Internet.

There are more college guidebooks and college rankings available than ever before. Although these can be helpful in your search, there’s no substitute for gathering your own information firsthand.

The Internet is a great vehicle for virtual college visits.

Information about colleges is very important, but don’t let too many facts and figures get in your way.

Visit as many campuses as possible.

Driving through or walking around a college campus can be helpful, but don’t mistake this for a campus visit.

Take advantage of the campus visit programs available at just about every school by calling the admissions office to schedule a visit.

Visiting classes, staying overnight in the dorms, eating in the dining hall, taking a campus tour and having an admissions interview are the key ingredients to a comprehensive visit.

Most colleges will bend over backwards to give you the red-carpet treatment while you’re on campus. A good campus visit allows you to check out the college and allows people at the college a chance to get to know you.

Being known is often a key factor in getting in.

Never make your final decision to enroll at a college without a campus visit.

Take the application process seriously.

The application for admission will have an important impact on your future. Take your time and give it your best shot.

Make sure it’s accurate, truthful, legible, well written and personal.

I can’t overemphasize the importance of the essay section. We read and reread the essay with great interest and enthusiasm. The essay is a reflection on you as a person.

It can tell us how well can you write, how well you can express you thoughts, why you are interested in our college, what significant experiences have shaped your views, etc.

A poorly written or thoughtless essay can ruin your chances for admission, but a solid essay can give you an important edge.

Don’t write a generic essay to send with all college applications. If you’re applying to five colleges, you should write five separate essays.

This is an exciting time in your life. Relax and enjoy it.

With some careful planning, soul-searching, and luck you’ll make the right college decision and you’ll have a rewarding and enriching college experience.