Attention Sophomores and Juniors: When planning for college, an early start can provide a big advantage – it will give you time to define your goals, research schools, learn about student aid & scholarships, prep for entrance exams and take steps to make yourself a more attractive candidate. Consider these helpful college strategies.
#1 Stay Focused on Academics
Admissions officers, guidance counselors and college consultants agree that the academic record is an extremely important factor. InLikeMe puts a challenging curriculum and strong grades at the top of the list. A rigorous class schedule shows intellectual curiosity, a willingness to challenge yourself and that you are comfortable with hard work. There are compelling financial benefits too. A strong academic record can lead to merit scholarships and credits earned from dual enrollment, AP, and IB classes and CLEP exams can cut college costs.
All competitive colleges seek to build a diversified and interesting student body. In past years, most successful applicants were well-rounded high-achievers. These days, there is a growing preference for involved, high-achievers and leaders who also possess a special activity (pursued with passion) that sets them apart from other applicants.
You’ll often be asked for an email address when you attend colleges presentations, fairs and register to receive scholarship and school information. A professional looking email address (e.g. first initial, last name, graduation year – nwilliams15@…….) will help show that you are a serious candidate. With its web interface and strong search capabilitiesm\, Gmail is very popular among college applicants.
Strong scores not only improve your chances of acceptance, they can also lead to significant scholarship money. The SAT and ACT are very different college entrance exams. Most colleges accept either (or both). Many student have increased their scores significantly with preparation. Check out InLikeMe for more information.
Recommendations from your high school counselor and teacher(s) are required when you apply to many colleges and universities. Plan ahead. Begin to consider whom to ask, and how they can support your candidacy.
# 6 Read, Write and Build Your Vocabulary
Most college students spend a lot of time reading and writing. Those with well developed skills have a distinct advantage over less prepared classmates. Enhancing your skills during high school will not only help you perform better on college entrance exams, it will prepare you for success in college. InLikeMe suggests regular reading of challenging articles and editorials from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and/or The Economist.
Lynn Radlauer Lubell, Publisher of InLikeMe.com and Founder of Admission By Design, an Educational Consultancy based in Boca Raton, Florida.
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