| Most high school students start their college | | | | you'll tackle the (hopefully) more challenging subjects |
| admissions process too late - they focus on boosting | | | | in college. |
| their grades in their junior or senior year. Getting | | | | The part of your college application process that you |
| admitted to college requires a bit of planning and | | | | have the greatest control over is, well, your |
| forethought; at the very least, getting admitted to | | | | application. Think of this application as being your |
| the college of your choice does. | | | | resume to get into the school. You have to describe, |
| First, work on your grades. Your grade point average | | | | factually, the things you've accomplished, and weave |
| doesn't tell colleges that you're smart. They tell | | | | in details of your life. You have to provide references |
| colleges that you're willing to work hard for a long | | | | who can attest to your character, your work ethic, |
| term, abstract goal. Only 40% of college entrants | | | | and how well you'll socialize. |
| graduate, and the biggest differentiator isn't | | | | Most colleges ask candidates to write an essay, |
| intelligence, it's the willingness to put your nose to the | | | | describing what they've done, and what events have |
| grindstone and work hard at it. That's what a decent | | | | impacted their lives. This is your chance to sell |
| GPA shows. | | | | yourself in your own words. Don't focus on what |
| Don't pad your GPA by taking "dummy courses" | | | | others might say - when the college admission boards |
| either; colleges are aware of that trick. In high school, | | | | read essays, they read them in stacks, and check |
| you need to balance taking challenging (college prep | | | | for a sense of personality, a sense of individuality in |
| classes) with getting good grades. As to how good | | | | the essays. Don't do the "three point essay of what |
| your grades have to be, in general, higher is better, | | | | I learned on my summer vacation/from football/in |
| but a solid 3.25 or higher is generally sufficient. | | | | church". Describe what you do that you're passionate |
| While you're balancing your need to keep your GPA | | | | about, and why it makes your blood sing with joy to |
| up with taking college preparatory courses, don't | | | | do it. Touch on how that skill you're passionate about |
| forget to have a life. Colleges weigh a lot of | | | | will enable you to enhance the college experience for |
| candidates. They look for candidates who not only | | | | other students. |
| grind their way through school, but maintain a part | | | | If you're going to need financial aid to pay for school, |
| time job, do community service, are active in their | | | | start the process early - your sophomore year of |
| churches, or play sports or have other extracurricular | | | | high school is not too early to start researching |
| activities. These tell a college that you're looking to | | | | grants and scholarships and contests you can enter |
| become a full, well rounded human being, and | | | | to rack up funds for college. This degree of |
| understand the need to be active in your community. | | | | preparedness can be the tipping point between |
| A good set of extracurricular activities and | | | | admission in the school of your choice, or going to |
| community service can strongly outweigh deficiencies | | | | the local state university. |
| in your grade point average. | | | | Speaking of your state university, don't disparage |
| The next step are your standardized test scores. Far | | | | them. Have a backup plan; in fact, have several of |
| too many people put an emphasis on "acing" a test, | | | | them. It may do you some good to go work in the |
| and they treat the SATs and ACTs as competitions. | | | | real world for a year or two before applying to |
| As a result, a lot of students stress out about those | | | | college, gaining real world experience. And there's |
| tests, to a huge degree, and that impacts their | | | | something to be said for digging ditches or putting |
| performance. First, colleges treat those tests as a | | | | roofing up for a year or two to save money for |
| filter. While your GPA shows that you can work, | | | | college while living at your parent's home, to make |
| your SATs show what you understand, and how you | | | | you appreciate the luxury of sitting in a class room, |
| think. They're an indicator of the education you've | | | | studying calculus and getting a better job down the |
| already got, which is a good predictor for how well | | | | road. |