Why should I go to college?
A college/university is an institution of post-secondary education, which serves to go beyond your high school education and teach you real world applications of your studies. Many colleges will advertise that they have great research facilities or that their student to faculty ratio is 14:1, etc. Without a college education, many professions are hard to get into. For instance, only those people with a degree from medical school can become surgeons. Only those with dental degrees can start an office of dental health. Even if you aren’t going for a specialized job, at least an Associate’s Degree is useful; it will increase the possibilities of getting a job and the amount of pay you can receive.
What do colleges look at?
There are 17 parts to an application that every college will at least consider, aka Nate’s 17 points to getting into College. These are not in the order of importance, because every university weighs each point differently.
• Resumé. Your resumé reveals who you are to the college. Make sure to include as many good qualities as you
can.
• Essays. The essays are very essential. These allow colleges to look at how well you can write and to view
your personality. Keep your essays personal so the college can get a good look at you without really looking
at you. The idea is to get accepted with what’s on paper because most universities do not interview.
• Grades. Your college of choice will receive a copy of your transcript. Remember to keep your grades up as
much as possible without overexerting yourself.
• Extracurricular Activities. No college likes a student who just studies for all his life. They all want to see you
getting involved in your school or community.
• Course difficulty. It’s not a good idea to waste all your time on super easy classes when you’re capable of
succeeding in a harder level course.
• Leadership. The best colleges look for the best leaders. In many cases, leadership is what makes the
difference between an acceptance and a rejection letter.
• Time. In many cases, the date you turn in your application affects your chances of getting in. A few terms
come to mind here, early decision, early action, and deadlines. Don’t turn in your application too late, or you
will be stuck. Some schools also look through applications in the order they receive them.
• Service. A lot of service hours looks good for colleges. Help out your community!
• Sports. If you’re great at a particular sport, you may get scouted by a university to join their team, and
possibly even get scholarships!
• Interview. The interview can be a make or break deal. Many colleges who use interviews want to make sure
that you are up to their standards as a person. No pressure, seriously. A lot of times these colleges are
already considering you to be accepted and just need to see you personally.
• Standardized Testing. There’s no way around it. Take the SAT and/or the ACT. These tests allow a
college/university to see what level of ability you are on based on a standard they can trust. Don’t forget to
take your SAT subject tests if the college you are applying to requires them. The junior year PSAT is also a
crucial test. It allows you to qualify as a National Merit Scholar, which can lead to many scholarships.
• Dual Enrollment. You can opt to take classes at a local community college to get college credit for certain
courses. It is really only advisable to take courses in your general area of interest. If you want to be a
psychologist, take psychology, etc.
• Awards and Recognitions. It’s good to get awards so that the college can see that your success is recognized
in high school.
• League of Nations, collective security… Hahaha. No, the 14th point is Uniqueness. The movie 21 is a great
example in this case. Be as unique as you can, the university wants the individual to make a difference.
• Recommendations. There’s no question that who you know affects where you go. Networking is a good idea,
because someone always knows someone who knows someone that you need to know to get somewhere or
something.
• Work Experience. It’s good to have some kind of work experience so that colleges can see you can work with
others and are responsible in real world situations.
• Summer Programs. Or activities that are not related to the school that take up a good portion of your time.
Summer programs, study abroad programs, etc. are great on the resumé.
The purpose of your college application is to show the colleges why you are a good fit for their school/programs. Keep this in mind when considering each of the 17 points. Click on the tab titled “The 17 Points, Expanded” on this page to read more about how each of the 17 points affects your chances for getting into college.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact me via the contact us page or post your question on the forums!
A college/university is an institution of post-secondary education, which serves to go beyond your high school education and teach you real world applications of your studies. Many colleges will advertise that they have great research facilities or that their student to faculty ratio is 14:1, etc. Without a college education, many professions are hard to get into. For instance, only those people with a degree from medical school can become surgeons. Only those with dental degrees can start an office of dental health. Even if you aren’t going for a specialized job, at least an Associate’s Degree is useful; it will increase the possibilities of getting a job and the amount of pay you can receive.
What do colleges look at?
There are 17 parts to an application that every college will at least consider, aka Nate’s 17 points to getting into College. These are not in the order of importance, because every university weighs each point differently.
• Resumé. Your resumé reveals who you are to the college. Make sure to include as many good qualities as you
can.
• Essays. The essays are very essential. These allow colleges to look at how well you can write and to view
your personality. Keep your essays personal so the college can get a good look at you without really looking
at you. The idea is to get accepted with what’s on paper because most universities do not interview.
• Grades. Your college of choice will receive a copy of your transcript. Remember to keep your grades up as
much as possible without overexerting yourself.
• Extracurricular Activities. No college likes a student who just studies for all his life. They all want to see you
getting involved in your school or community.
• Course difficulty. It’s not a good idea to waste all your time on super easy classes when you’re capable of
succeeding in a harder level course.
• Leadership. The best colleges look for the best leaders. In many cases, leadership is what makes the
difference between an acceptance and a rejection letter.
• Time. In many cases, the date you turn in your application affects your chances of getting in. A few terms
come to mind here, early decision, early action, and deadlines. Don’t turn in your application too late, or you
will be stuck. Some schools also look through applications in the order they receive them.
• Service. A lot of service hours looks good for colleges. Help out your community!
• Sports. If you’re great at a particular sport, you may get scouted by a university to join their team, and
possibly even get scholarships!
• Interview. The interview can be a make or break deal. Many colleges who use interviews want to make sure
that you are up to their standards as a person. No pressure, seriously. A lot of times these colleges are
already considering you to be accepted and just need to see you personally.
• Standardized Testing. There’s no way around it. Take the SAT and/or the ACT. These tests allow a
college/university to see what level of ability you are on based on a standard they can trust. Don’t forget to
take your SAT subject tests if the college you are applying to requires them. The junior year PSAT is also a
crucial test. It allows you to qualify as a National Merit Scholar, which can lead to many scholarships.
• Dual Enrollment. You can opt to take classes at a local community college to get college credit for certain
courses. It is really only advisable to take courses in your general area of interest. If you want to be a
psychologist, take psychology, etc.
• Awards and Recognitions. It’s good to get awards so that the college can see that your success is recognized
in high school.
• League of Nations, collective security… Hahaha. No, the 14th point is Uniqueness. The movie 21 is a great
example in this case. Be as unique as you can, the university wants the individual to make a difference.
• Recommendations. There’s no question that who you know affects where you go. Networking is a good idea,
because someone always knows someone who knows someone that you need to know to get somewhere or
something.
• Work Experience. It’s good to have some kind of work experience so that colleges can see you can work with
others and are responsible in real world situations.
• Summer Programs. Or activities that are not related to the school that take up a good portion of your time.
Summer programs, study abroad programs, etc. are great on the resumé.
The purpose of your college application is to show the colleges why you are a good fit for their school/programs. Keep this in mind when considering each of the 17 points. Click on the tab titled “The 17 Points, Expanded” on this page to read more about how each of the 17 points affects your chances for getting into college.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact me via the contact us page or post your question on the forums!
What is the purpose behind the points?
Every college has their own guideline for what they look for in an application. It’s good to remember that since each university emphasizes the points in different weight. The best application is strong in all the fields, but remember that even if some of the points aren’t so strongly presented in your application the chances of you getting into college still aren’t bad for the most part. Read on to see which points are absolutely necessary and how they affect your application.
The 17 points and how they affect your application. I will add a rank at the end of each point for the importance of each point as I see it. 1 meaning that not being strong in the point won’t ruin your chances of getting into college and 5 meaning that the point is crucial to your college application process. Every ranking is subject to change.
• Resumé
The resumé is a short document that states all your achievements in high school and simply shows a college what you did in your time as a high school student. The best way to build a strong resumé is to build on all of the other points. Colleges all require a resumé, so built yours strong and proud. I rank this point a 5. Without the resumé, the application is incomplete.
• Interview
The interview allows a college admissions office to get a good look at you beyond the paperwork. The best part about an interview is that the few colleges that do interviews usually invite those that are already considered to be accepted and just want a supplement to what they already know. To succeed in your interview, practice everything you know about yourself. Relax and do your best! I will rate this point a 2 only because so few colleges employ the interview.
• Standardized Testing
Like I said when the points were introduced, there’s no way around this. Every college requires that you send them your test scores. These scores are important because they are based on a standard that colleges trust and understand. These scores are usually used to measure up against your GPA. Colleges know that an A in my history class could be a D elsewhere and could be a C+ otherwise. The SAT and ACT help the colleges determine your ability on a nationally standard level. The higher the better the scores. Don’t forget to send all your scores to the college/university of your choice. They usually take the highest scores from all the times you tested anyways. I must rate this point a 4. Standardized tests are extremely important, but low or high scores don’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be rejected or accepted. There’s more to the application than this.
Your test scores will only show the university your ability to take a test. Some universities will take the best scores out of all your SAT tests to help you. Some universities will permit you to take the SAT or ACT as many times as you wish, others will give a cap to how many are acceptable (don't take the SAT too many times, it won't look as good, regardless of what they say, unless you really feel you can improve your score). Your application will ride on much more than a score on a test, remember this.
• Grades
Of course, when you apply to a university, you will have to submit a copy of your transcript. After all, the college wants to make sure you’re a good enough student for their programs. Don’t be too discouraged by the GPA, but try your best to keep it as high as possible. Freshman year GPA is very important because it sets the basis for your GPA until senior year. It's best to develop a good study habit. When you apply fall of your senior year, your transcript will reflect your grades up until your last junior year grades. Your senior year grades will help you keep from getting deferred, so keep up the hard work and don't be lazy. I would rate this point a 4 because many schools use their own methods to calculate your GPA based on your transcript.
• Extracurricular Activities
Every college wants to see a student that goes beyond excelling in the classroom and becomes active in extracurricular activities. Joining clubs or sports teams is the key to this point. Become active in a club that suits your interests. For example, join the Science Club if you want to pursue science, or join KEY Club or Rotary Club for community service. I must rate this point a 5 because the extracurriculars really make the application complete.
• Course Difficulty
The idea is to take the hardest possible classes without failing utterly. Colleges want to see a motivated student who tries his/her best to challenge his/herself academically. There’s not much more to this point. Try your best in you classes and if you feel you can try a harder level of the course, don’t hesitate to try it out. A college will see that you are challenging yourself. I will rate this a 3 since most people already go for the hardest classes they can be in and because the difficulty of your courses work together with your grades for the college to determine if you seem to fit into their view of what a student should be like.
• Time
This is extremely important to note. Deadlines. Colleges won’t accept your application after a certain postmarked deadline in your application when you mail it in. They also won’t accept online applications past a certain deadline. Make sure you have all the materials you need for your application at least a month before to make sure you can submit it successfully. Don't forget, the order that colleges receive applications is the order they will read them. The earlier you submit your application, the better. This is the case for most, if not all the colleges out there. I will rate this a 5 because not meeting the deadline means that you can’t apply and entirely ruins your chances for getting into the college of your choice. Also the earlier you submit the application, the earlier it is considered. This leads to increasing your chances of getting accepted if you apply before the deadline.
• Service
Community Service is crucial to a complete application. Not only are required to complete community service for your graduation requirement, but colleges like to see students that are involved in giving back to their community. The more service hours the better. To get hours look into service clubs like KEY Club and Rotary Club for opportunities, or look for local hospitals or food shelters or even pet shelters for opportunities to get service hours. Try at least to get the Silver Cord, it’s definitely a good step above the graduation requirement. I will rate this point a 5 because you both need it to graduate and it is an excellent supplement to leadership and grades that will make your application complete.
• Sports
This is related to the extracurriculars. It’s good to join a sports team. It shows a college you are not only concerned for your grades, but also your health. You show that you can work with others in a team, that you can lead in the game, and that you have talent in your sport. Your goal is to get scouted by the colleges to play on their teams for scholarships, if that’s what you are looking for. It’s not a bad goal to strive for either, considering that many opportunities arise from getting into college in the first place. I will rate this a 3 because colleges will look at any extracurricular positively and the direct benefits from being talented in your sport are very straightforward.
• Interview
The best advice is to chill out, seriously. Interviews are positive signs for you. They generally mean that you are close to being accepted and the college just wants to get a more personal look at the kind of person you are. Remember that not all universities have interviews, so most of you don’t have to worry about this point. To succeed in your interview, review what you know about yourself, what you presented in your application, and your manners. Being versed about yourself and if nothing else being polite are harbingers for a successful interview. I will rate this point a 3 because of the lack of homogenization of the use of interviews. It’s a crucial point, but only if the college you’re applying to uses them as part of the application process.
• Standardized Testing
As stated before, there’s no way around this. You must take either or both the SAT reasoning test or the ACT. Your grades can only a college so much about you. A C in my school may be an F at another school and may be over 100% in another school. Colleges recognize that and they want to measure you based on a standard they trust. Don’t be discouraged or be overconfident because of your score. Even if a university says they accept students with a 1400 / 1600, doesn’t mean people getting less then 1,000 can’t get in at all. This is just a small part of the whole application; it just shows the college your ability to test on a standard they understand. Don’t forget to take your SAT subject tests if the college of your choice requires them. They are a good way to place into higher-level courses. This point must be rated a 5, even though your score may not be the most crucial part, the college you apply to needs to see your level.
**Myth buster**: Take the test more than once, but be careful. It’s actually better if you do, because then you can try to push your scores higher, to some extent. Take both the SAT and the ACT, you may do much better on one versus the other. How many times you take the test is up to you, but you must account cost effectiveness and how much effort you’re putting. If you keep taking the test and get consistent scores, don’t worry about taking it a third or fourth time. Push your score up as high as you can with as few tries as possible. While colleges don’t mind you taking the test multiple times, they generally will question why you opted to bother. Tester beware, try not to take the test more than 4 times if you can help it. By that point, you will probably reach your max potential, but again it’s up to you.
• Dual Enrollment
Why should you dual enroll? Because its there and its free. Why shouldn’t you dual enroll? To boost your GPA above others when you don’t deserve it. The last statement is very serious, many people take dual enrollment courses for the sake of boosting their GPA because the coursework is easier than their AP courses. This is dishonest at the least. Dual enrollment has other beneficial qualities. For one, these are college courses that you can transfer into the college you are accepted into for credits, thereby shortening your time in college. Other universities will let you talk to the department (for example, if you took sociology, you would talk to your university’s social science department) for transferring the credits. As previously mentioned, these classes are much easier than your average AP course, at least from my experience. The other benefit, its free. You will be taking the course for free, so consider that when you think about doing some summer courses. These are a great way to add credits to your transcript if your school doesn’t offer a class you’re interested in (calc III for example). This was designed for the sole purpose of allowing exceptional high school students to experience a college level course in a real college campus. This point will be rated a 2 because whether or not you dual enrolled has little effect on your application other than your GPA and your transcript in general.
**Warning** Some college don’t like it when students inject courses into their transcript. Don’t simply take everything because you have the ability to, many colleges like to see a general focus, because they’re fully aware you could transfer credits to get rid of your general education requirements. If you’re interested in people and the mind, take Sociology and Psychology and related classes (world religions you can tie in for example, because that deals with humans and their belief systems, a crucial point in social psychology). Just be careful. The best course of action is to call the college of your choice and ask what their policies on dual enrollment are. Their advice is more specific to their school than mine is.
• Awards and Recognitions
It’s nice to have awards and be recognized by your school. Colleges like to see students succeeding in high school. There’s not much more to this, keep a look out for your school’s competitions or possible awards and apply yourself. You not succeed all the time, but at least you’ll try. I will rate this point a 3. It’s good to push yourself to a point where you are recognized, there’s no doubt about that. It also looks good in the application.
• Uniqueness
I will rate this point before elaborating, for emphasis. I rate this point a 5. There is no doubt, colleges like to see individuals who make a difference in their community. Uniqueness will be presented to the college of your choice through your very important essays. You must present yourself in a way that shows colleges that are the type of student that can change the community you live in for the better. Remembering the movie 21, you may think that counting cards isn’t that significant. Yet, there is a unique quality to the experience that brings his application to a new level of wholeness. Silver knight winners are generally unique because of their contributions to the community through pioneering work. Remember to be yourself and make a difference.
• Recommendations
You know who you know and that decides where you go. Your network of individuals can eventually reach an admissions officer for the college you are applying to. Knowing these people can generally help you get accepted. Other times it is great to be acquainted to prominent figures, either political, or local, that can vouch for you as a perfect candidate for the college of your choice. The right people pull the right strings. The invisible strings that control the world aren’t so hard to find, remember that. I will rate this point a 4 because the people you get recommendations from must write letters for you and those letters are very important for many college applications.
• Work Experience
Responsibility, aptitude for working in real-life situations, meeting new people, operating with others, learning new skills that are generally useful for everyday life. These are all possible benefits from getting a full or part-time job. A college likes to see you apply yourself to the world and be successful in and out of school. I work to keep my car, which I use to get to school and work. Find a driving force to get a job and pursue that extra bit of success. I’ll rate this point a 2 because it falls under the umbrella of extracurriculars and is generally not a huge part of the picture colleges form of you. It is important enough to be a point in this website, so remember to push for it.
• Summer Programs
In a perfect world, we can all attend summer programs and study abroad programs and do research in the field we are interested. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, so this opportunity is available for the well off and very motivated. By well off, I am discerning between those who can afford such programs that enhance the leadership and experience of a high school student. Kudos to your ability to attend such programs, they are very beneficial and give a good edge to the college application. Those who are very motivated are those who cannot otherwise afford such programs, but find a way anyways. These people are generally already strong leaders or simply know how to channel their energy towards a single, large, and beneficial goal.
Any program, whether it be summer camp, summer research, study abroad programs, traveling the world with groups, leadership training conventions, or even school leadership training session, all provide a new edge to an average application. Colleges like to see students getting involved in activities that enhance their learning in and yearning for a particular subject. I will rate this a 3 because of the lack of universal availability, regardless of the strong benefits these programs provide to you on a short and long term basis.
These are 17 points on what colleges consider when looking at an application. These are all the possible topics they could be looking at. They do not expect you to excel at each of the 17 points. Try to be successful in as many as you can without stretching yourself too thin.
If you have further questions feel free to ask me on the contact us page or post your questions on our forums.
Every college has their own guideline for what they look for in an application. It’s good to remember that since each university emphasizes the points in different weight. The best application is strong in all the fields, but remember that even if some of the points aren’t so strongly presented in your application the chances of you getting into college still aren’t bad for the most part. Read on to see which points are absolutely necessary and how they affect your application.
The 17 points and how they affect your application. I will add a rank at the end of each point for the importance of each point as I see it. 1 meaning that not being strong in the point won’t ruin your chances of getting into college and 5 meaning that the point is crucial to your college application process. Every ranking is subject to change.
• Resumé
The resumé is a short document that states all your achievements in high school and simply shows a college what you did in your time as a high school student. The best way to build a strong resumé is to build on all of the other points. Colleges all require a resumé, so built yours strong and proud. I rank this point a 5. Without the resumé, the application is incomplete.
• Interview
The interview allows a college admissions office to get a good look at you beyond the paperwork. The best part about an interview is that the few colleges that do interviews usually invite those that are already considered to be accepted and just want a supplement to what they already know. To succeed in your interview, practice everything you know about yourself. Relax and do your best! I will rate this point a 2 only because so few colleges employ the interview.
• Standardized Testing
Like I said when the points were introduced, there’s no way around this. Every college requires that you send them your test scores. These scores are important because they are based on a standard that colleges trust and understand. These scores are usually used to measure up against your GPA. Colleges know that an A in my history class could be a D elsewhere and could be a C+ otherwise. The SAT and ACT help the colleges determine your ability on a nationally standard level. The higher the better the scores. Don’t forget to send all your scores to the college/university of your choice. They usually take the highest scores from all the times you tested anyways. I must rate this point a 4. Standardized tests are extremely important, but low or high scores don’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be rejected or accepted. There’s more to the application than this.
Your test scores will only show the university your ability to take a test. Some universities will take the best scores out of all your SAT tests to help you. Some universities will permit you to take the SAT or ACT as many times as you wish, others will give a cap to how many are acceptable (don't take the SAT too many times, it won't look as good, regardless of what they say, unless you really feel you can improve your score). Your application will ride on much more than a score on a test, remember this.
• Grades
Of course, when you apply to a university, you will have to submit a copy of your transcript. After all, the college wants to make sure you’re a good enough student for their programs. Don’t be too discouraged by the GPA, but try your best to keep it as high as possible. Freshman year GPA is very important because it sets the basis for your GPA until senior year. It's best to develop a good study habit. When you apply fall of your senior year, your transcript will reflect your grades up until your last junior year grades. Your senior year grades will help you keep from getting deferred, so keep up the hard work and don't be lazy. I would rate this point a 4 because many schools use their own methods to calculate your GPA based on your transcript.
• Extracurricular Activities
Every college wants to see a student that goes beyond excelling in the classroom and becomes active in extracurricular activities. Joining clubs or sports teams is the key to this point. Become active in a club that suits your interests. For example, join the Science Club if you want to pursue science, or join KEY Club or Rotary Club for community service. I must rate this point a 5 because the extracurriculars really make the application complete.
• Course Difficulty
The idea is to take the hardest possible classes without failing utterly. Colleges want to see a motivated student who tries his/her best to challenge his/herself academically. There’s not much more to this point. Try your best in you classes and if you feel you can try a harder level of the course, don’t hesitate to try it out. A college will see that you are challenging yourself. I will rate this a 3 since most people already go for the hardest classes they can be in and because the difficulty of your courses work together with your grades for the college to determine if you seem to fit into their view of what a student should be like.
• Time
This is extremely important to note. Deadlines. Colleges won’t accept your application after a certain postmarked deadline in your application when you mail it in. They also won’t accept online applications past a certain deadline. Make sure you have all the materials you need for your application at least a month before to make sure you can submit it successfully. Don't forget, the order that colleges receive applications is the order they will read them. The earlier you submit your application, the better. This is the case for most, if not all the colleges out there. I will rate this a 5 because not meeting the deadline means that you can’t apply and entirely ruins your chances for getting into the college of your choice. Also the earlier you submit the application, the earlier it is considered. This leads to increasing your chances of getting accepted if you apply before the deadline.
• Service
Community Service is crucial to a complete application. Not only are required to complete community service for your graduation requirement, but colleges like to see students that are involved in giving back to their community. The more service hours the better. To get hours look into service clubs like KEY Club and Rotary Club for opportunities, or look for local hospitals or food shelters or even pet shelters for opportunities to get service hours. Try at least to get the Silver Cord, it’s definitely a good step above the graduation requirement. I will rate this point a 5 because you both need it to graduate and it is an excellent supplement to leadership and grades that will make your application complete.
• Sports
This is related to the extracurriculars. It’s good to join a sports team. It shows a college you are not only concerned for your grades, but also your health. You show that you can work with others in a team, that you can lead in the game, and that you have talent in your sport. Your goal is to get scouted by the colleges to play on their teams for scholarships, if that’s what you are looking for. It’s not a bad goal to strive for either, considering that many opportunities arise from getting into college in the first place. I will rate this a 3 because colleges will look at any extracurricular positively and the direct benefits from being talented in your sport are very straightforward.
• Interview
The best advice is to chill out, seriously. Interviews are positive signs for you. They generally mean that you are close to being accepted and the college just wants to get a more personal look at the kind of person you are. Remember that not all universities have interviews, so most of you don’t have to worry about this point. To succeed in your interview, review what you know about yourself, what you presented in your application, and your manners. Being versed about yourself and if nothing else being polite are harbingers for a successful interview. I will rate this point a 3 because of the lack of homogenization of the use of interviews. It’s a crucial point, but only if the college you’re applying to uses them as part of the application process.
• Standardized Testing
As stated before, there’s no way around this. You must take either or both the SAT reasoning test or the ACT. Your grades can only a college so much about you. A C in my school may be an F at another school and may be over 100% in another school. Colleges recognize that and they want to measure you based on a standard they trust. Don’t be discouraged or be overconfident because of your score. Even if a university says they accept students with a 1400 / 1600, doesn’t mean people getting less then 1,000 can’t get in at all. This is just a small part of the whole application; it just shows the college your ability to test on a standard they understand. Don’t forget to take your SAT subject tests if the college of your choice requires them. They are a good way to place into higher-level courses. This point must be rated a 5, even though your score may not be the most crucial part, the college you apply to needs to see your level.
**Myth buster**: Take the test more than once, but be careful. It’s actually better if you do, because then you can try to push your scores higher, to some extent. Take both the SAT and the ACT, you may do much better on one versus the other. How many times you take the test is up to you, but you must account cost effectiveness and how much effort you’re putting. If you keep taking the test and get consistent scores, don’t worry about taking it a third or fourth time. Push your score up as high as you can with as few tries as possible. While colleges don’t mind you taking the test multiple times, they generally will question why you opted to bother. Tester beware, try not to take the test more than 4 times if you can help it. By that point, you will probably reach your max potential, but again it’s up to you.
• Dual Enrollment
Why should you dual enroll? Because its there and its free. Why shouldn’t you dual enroll? To boost your GPA above others when you don’t deserve it. The last statement is very serious, many people take dual enrollment courses for the sake of boosting their GPA because the coursework is easier than their AP courses. This is dishonest at the least. Dual enrollment has other beneficial qualities. For one, these are college courses that you can transfer into the college you are accepted into for credits, thereby shortening your time in college. Other universities will let you talk to the department (for example, if you took sociology, you would talk to your university’s social science department) for transferring the credits. As previously mentioned, these classes are much easier than your average AP course, at least from my experience. The other benefit, its free. You will be taking the course for free, so consider that when you think about doing some summer courses. These are a great way to add credits to your transcript if your school doesn’t offer a class you’re interested in (calc III for example). This was designed for the sole purpose of allowing exceptional high school students to experience a college level course in a real college campus. This point will be rated a 2 because whether or not you dual enrolled has little effect on your application other than your GPA and your transcript in general.
**Warning** Some college don’t like it when students inject courses into their transcript. Don’t simply take everything because you have the ability to, many colleges like to see a general focus, because they’re fully aware you could transfer credits to get rid of your general education requirements. If you’re interested in people and the mind, take Sociology and Psychology and related classes (world religions you can tie in for example, because that deals with humans and their belief systems, a crucial point in social psychology). Just be careful. The best course of action is to call the college of your choice and ask what their policies on dual enrollment are. Their advice is more specific to their school than mine is.
• Awards and Recognitions
It’s nice to have awards and be recognized by your school. Colleges like to see students succeeding in high school. There’s not much more to this, keep a look out for your school’s competitions or possible awards and apply yourself. You not succeed all the time, but at least you’ll try. I will rate this point a 3. It’s good to push yourself to a point where you are recognized, there’s no doubt about that. It also looks good in the application.
• Uniqueness
I will rate this point before elaborating, for emphasis. I rate this point a 5. There is no doubt, colleges like to see individuals who make a difference in their community. Uniqueness will be presented to the college of your choice through your very important essays. You must present yourself in a way that shows colleges that are the type of student that can change the community you live in for the better. Remembering the movie 21, you may think that counting cards isn’t that significant. Yet, there is a unique quality to the experience that brings his application to a new level of wholeness. Silver knight winners are generally unique because of their contributions to the community through pioneering work. Remember to be yourself and make a difference.
• Recommendations
You know who you know and that decides where you go. Your network of individuals can eventually reach an admissions officer for the college you are applying to. Knowing these people can generally help you get accepted. Other times it is great to be acquainted to prominent figures, either political, or local, that can vouch for you as a perfect candidate for the college of your choice. The right people pull the right strings. The invisible strings that control the world aren’t so hard to find, remember that. I will rate this point a 4 because the people you get recommendations from must write letters for you and those letters are very important for many college applications.
• Work Experience
Responsibility, aptitude for working in real-life situations, meeting new people, operating with others, learning new skills that are generally useful for everyday life. These are all possible benefits from getting a full or part-time job. A college likes to see you apply yourself to the world and be successful in and out of school. I work to keep my car, which I use to get to school and work. Find a driving force to get a job and pursue that extra bit of success. I’ll rate this point a 2 because it falls under the umbrella of extracurriculars and is generally not a huge part of the picture colleges form of you. It is important enough to be a point in this website, so remember to push for it.
• Summer Programs
In a perfect world, we can all attend summer programs and study abroad programs and do research in the field we are interested. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, so this opportunity is available for the well off and very motivated. By well off, I am discerning between those who can afford such programs that enhance the leadership and experience of a high school student. Kudos to your ability to attend such programs, they are very beneficial and give a good edge to the college application. Those who are very motivated are those who cannot otherwise afford such programs, but find a way anyways. These people are generally already strong leaders or simply know how to channel their energy towards a single, large, and beneficial goal.
Any program, whether it be summer camp, summer research, study abroad programs, traveling the world with groups, leadership training conventions, or even school leadership training session, all provide a new edge to an average application. Colleges like to see students getting involved in activities that enhance their learning in and yearning for a particular subject. I will rate this a 3 because of the lack of universal availability, regardless of the strong benefits these programs provide to you on a short and long term basis.
These are 17 points on what colleges consider when looking at an application. These are all the possible topics they could be looking at. They do not expect you to excel at each of the 17 points. Try to be successful in as many as you can without stretching yourself too thin.
If you have further questions feel free to ask me on the contact us page or post your questions on our forums.
The first two tabs discuss Nate's 17 points to what colleges look at in an application and the significance of what they look at. This tab discusses tips that will help you build a stronger application and give you a better chance at getting into the college of your choice.
What can I do to work on the 17 points?
Each point is based on something that can be accomplished in high school that develops your character one way or another in the eyes of a university. These schools want to see you through your achievements. The straight A student who studies all day and does nothing else has less of a chance of getting into a great university than a student who gets all A's and B's who is very active in his/her community. Keep reading for actual tips for certain points. These tips come from college admissions officers themselves and students who have gotten into great universities.
What's my goal?
That's up to you. The first goal should be to graduate high school though. Afterwards your goal should be to get into the university that you want to go to. Those two goals are the first steps to success. United States Businesses and businesses worldwide are starting to look more towards how much education their current and potential employees have. So, work for getting more than just the high school diploma if you are able to. It provides job security and helps you get payed more.
Tips
Before I start with the tips, I must include a disclaimer. There is no absolute way for anyone to get into college. The most sure-fire people sometimes don't make it and the least expected to be accepted may be accepted. The idea is to be the best you can be and go for it, you never know what will happen. These tips are intended to help you apply to college without the common errors made in many applications and are intended to provide advice as to what you should consider doing while still in high school to make your application stronger.
• Your essay must be personal, don't write something about how the school's specific courses that you looked up will help you. Make the college see you, because from that the college will know whether or not you are an ideal student. For the essay that is "why this university" you can get more specific on the actual university programs and such, but remember that many other universities have the same programs, so why this one?
• DO NOT allow a college admissions officer look at your essay and have the ability to replace their college's name with another. That ruins your essay.
• Knowing your limits is key to succeeding in general. Don't take on so many tasks that you're gonna fail some of them. Take on as many tasks as you can while succeeding at each. Colleges know that no one can do everything, so be human.
• Community service is best shown when you have in school and out of school hours. Get different kinds of community service to show you're passionate to help out everyone in need, or concentrate in doing more service about what you're passionate about.
• Job shadowing, attending research programs, or doing community service in fields of work you're considering to do for the rest of your life shows a college that you really know what you want to do. This looks great on the application.
These tips and your own hard work will increase your chances of getting into the college of your choice.
What if I have more questions? What if I'm unsure of myself?
Feel free to contact me at the contact us page. Otherwise, post your questions on the forums. If you're unsure of yourself, you can always ask your guidance officer for assistance, ask me at the contact us page, or post your concern on the forums.
What if I feel like I have some really good tips?
If you feel like you have more tips that could be really helpful, tell me at the contact us page or tell the world on the forums; if the tip is very useful, it may be posted on this tab with a credit to you! If you do submit a tip to the site through the forums, please include your country if not United States or the State if you're in the United States. The more useful tips, the better.
What can I do to work on the 17 points?
Each point is based on something that can be accomplished in high school that develops your character one way or another in the eyes of a university. These schools want to see you through your achievements. The straight A student who studies all day and does nothing else has less of a chance of getting into a great university than a student who gets all A's and B's who is very active in his/her community. Keep reading for actual tips for certain points. These tips come from college admissions officers themselves and students who have gotten into great universities.
What's my goal?
That's up to you. The first goal should be to graduate high school though. Afterwards your goal should be to get into the university that you want to go to. Those two goals are the first steps to success. United States Businesses and businesses worldwide are starting to look more towards how much education their current and potential employees have. So, work for getting more than just the high school diploma if you are able to. It provides job security and helps you get payed more.
Tips
Before I start with the tips, I must include a disclaimer. There is no absolute way for anyone to get into college. The most sure-fire people sometimes don't make it and the least expected to be accepted may be accepted. The idea is to be the best you can be and go for it, you never know what will happen. These tips are intended to help you apply to college without the common errors made in many applications and are intended to provide advice as to what you should consider doing while still in high school to make your application stronger.
• Your essay must be personal, don't write something about how the school's specific courses that you looked up will help you. Make the college see you, because from that the college will know whether or not you are an ideal student. For the essay that is "why this university" you can get more specific on the actual university programs and such, but remember that many other universities have the same programs, so why this one?
• DO NOT allow a college admissions officer look at your essay and have the ability to replace their college's name with another. That ruins your essay.
• Knowing your limits is key to succeeding in general. Don't take on so many tasks that you're gonna fail some of them. Take on as many tasks as you can while succeeding at each. Colleges know that no one can do everything, so be human.
• Community service is best shown when you have in school and out of school hours. Get different kinds of community service to show you're passionate to help out everyone in need, or concentrate in doing more service about what you're passionate about.
• Job shadowing, attending research programs, or doing community service in fields of work you're considering to do for the rest of your life shows a college that you really know what you want to do. This looks great on the application.
These tips and your own hard work will increase your chances of getting into the college of your choice.
What if I have more questions? What if I'm unsure of myself?
Feel free to contact me at the contact us page. Otherwise, post your questions on the forums. If you're unsure of yourself, you can always ask your guidance officer for assistance, ask me at the contact us page, or post your concern on the forums.
What if I feel like I have some really good tips?
If you feel like you have more tips that could be really helpful, tell me at the contact us page or tell the world on the forums; if the tip is very useful, it may be posted on this tab with a credit to you! If you do submit a tip to the site through the forums, please include your country if not United States or the State if you're in the United States. The more useful tips, the better.
What should I do in my high school years to succeed the greatest success in high school?
Following the title for the tab, I will present a year-by-year analysis on what you can do to succeed in your high school.
Freshman Year:
Get to know your school. The classes you have this year are generally the easiest, take advantage of your extra time from these classes to get involved in a whole bunch of clubs to see which you like best. You may even be able to get involved enough for an officer position. Remember, involvement is rewarding. This is the key year to set your GPA, A high base GPA freshman year helps you build it more and bring it higher later on. Look up careers and see which ones you may be interested in and look for your school’s job shadowing program. These are all things that would make your freshman year a success.
Summer Term:
This is a great time to relax and get to know the local business leaders in your community. It would be a good idea to job shadow over the summer to get a feel of the job(s) you’re interested in. Otherwise, relax. It’s summer!
Sophomore Year:
By now you should know what clubs or sports teams you like and which you don’t. Join the ones you like again and push for another year of extracurricular activity. Keep your grades up, of course. You don’t want your grades to drop. Many schools at this point offer college level courses such as AP. Try to take those courses if you feel you can handle the rigor because AP tests look great on the resumé and they allow you to test out of the general college courses like Biology 1. The reason you should take AP’s is that classes like Biology AP (Bio 1 in college) are often much harder in college and they cost money if you take them in college. Push for an officer position in the club of your choice this year, so you can move up and become more involved next year. This is the secret to success in the sophomore year. If you feel up to it, take the SAT reasoning test. It’s not super recommended but it’s all up to you.
Summer Term:
This summer you can look into getting your driver’s license and perhaps even a car. A lot of summer programs open up at this point, so it’s good to try to get into one. Also, by now if you couldn’t the summer before, the opportunity to dual enroll is available. Use this time to take maybe at least one class, so you can get a feel for what a college course is really like.
Junior Year:
Again, keep your grades up. Take AP courses. Join the clubs you like again. This is perhaps the most difficult year for high schoolers. It is a good idea to look into colleges you want to go to that have the program you like. For instance, University of Pennsylvania has a 7-year accelerated program for someone interested of getting his/her Dental Degree in Medicine. The program gets you through undergrad and Dental school in seven years, saving a year on an average program. Calc Tech has excellent programs for future engineers and physicist. Johns Hopkins is world renowned for its medicine. Look into colleges that have programs best suited to your career choice and push yourself too meet their criteria for a good student. Schedule college visits and look at their campus as well as talk to an admissions officer. If you’re willing to put the effort, the college you visit is always willing to sit down with you and answer your questions. On that note, write down questions that you have for the college before you visit, because the person you speak with will like to see that you are actively engaging yourself in the college search. This is generally a good sign for colleges.
Take the SAT or ACT for sure this year. You need to know where you stand with the standardized tests. I suggest taking one in the beginning of the year, say October, then taking the January one. This gives you some time to prepare and push your score up while the information is fresh in your mind. Just because I recommend it though, doesn’t mean its law. I took the SAT in October and again in June. I simply didn’t have the time to take in during the year. For the SAT subject tests, try to take them in May or June, so that the information is still available for you. Remember that college board writes both the AP and SAT subject tests, meaning that they are very similar in content. In fact, the SAT subject tests are an easier, shorter, and more straightforward version of the AP test. Take them in conjunction to the classes you are enrolled under AP in, so that you are prepping for it in class without needing too much extra practice.
These are the keys to success in your Junior Year.
Summer Term:
The work piles on from Junior year this term. This is the best time to visit colleges and pick up application forms so you can prepare for the Fall when you actually do apply to colleges. It’s good to have a list of the colleges you want to apply to and to know how much all the application fees will add up to. It’ll look great on the resumé if you go to a research program or you attend a study abroad program. These greatly boost the quality of your application. It is not absolutely necessary though, so don’t feel too pressured, it is a good edge over the competition though.
Senior Year:
There is a contagious disease spreading. Its name: senioritis. The instant you catch this virus, you better snap out of it or your grades and possibly your chances of getting into college are almost guaranteed to be ruined. Keep up your involvement in your clubs, hopefully by now you have gathered enough service hours to graduate and possibly to get a silver cord. If not, gather the service hours first semester when there are more projects available for you to be involved in. Keep up your grades and try not to take really easy classes, you will find that when students take easy classes for the sake of a simpler senior year, it is harder for them to get accepted or their acceptance may be rescinded. Apply to the colleges of your choice. Don’t forget the deadlines are usually around October and November. Don’t miss the deadlines, or you will miss the chance to get into that college you wanted to go to. If you can, try to push for a silver knight’s award. The award recognizes seniors who design and participate in ventures that help the community on a wide scale. Push for scholarships as well, you will need money for college. When you get accepter to the college you want to go to, immediately take care of housing arrangements and financial aid so you actually attend the college. Don’t miss this opportunity because housing usually runs short and financial aid may run dry.
Some things to consider when looking at a college
• Financial Aid: we all need money, especially for education.
• Programs: Colleges that offer programs in what you want to do are ideal.
• Location: make sure you like the campus, don’t want to go somewhere you don’t like.
• SAT score range: it’s good to have a goal score for your SAT’s that fit the average for the college of your
choice.
• Dual Enrollment/AP: does the college of you choice accept these credits?
• Resident versus Non-resident costs: public universities make a distinction between the costs for those living in
the state already and those living out of state. This can save you a lot of money if you become a resident in
the state of the college of your choice.
More on what to consider in "The University" tab on this page.
If I have further questions?
Ask away on the contact us page or feel free to post your question on the forums.
Following the title for the tab, I will present a year-by-year analysis on what you can do to succeed in your high school.
Freshman Year:
Get to know your school. The classes you have this year are generally the easiest, take advantage of your extra time from these classes to get involved in a whole bunch of clubs to see which you like best. You may even be able to get involved enough for an officer position. Remember, involvement is rewarding. This is the key year to set your GPA, A high base GPA freshman year helps you build it more and bring it higher later on. Look up careers and see which ones you may be interested in and look for your school’s job shadowing program. These are all things that would make your freshman year a success.
Summer Term:
This is a great time to relax and get to know the local business leaders in your community. It would be a good idea to job shadow over the summer to get a feel of the job(s) you’re interested in. Otherwise, relax. It’s summer!
Sophomore Year:
By now you should know what clubs or sports teams you like and which you don’t. Join the ones you like again and push for another year of extracurricular activity. Keep your grades up, of course. You don’t want your grades to drop. Many schools at this point offer college level courses such as AP. Try to take those courses if you feel you can handle the rigor because AP tests look great on the resumé and they allow you to test out of the general college courses like Biology 1. The reason you should take AP’s is that classes like Biology AP (Bio 1 in college) are often much harder in college and they cost money if you take them in college. Push for an officer position in the club of your choice this year, so you can move up and become more involved next year. This is the secret to success in the sophomore year. If you feel up to it, take the SAT reasoning test. It’s not super recommended but it’s all up to you.
Summer Term:
This summer you can look into getting your driver’s license and perhaps even a car. A lot of summer programs open up at this point, so it’s good to try to get into one. Also, by now if you couldn’t the summer before, the opportunity to dual enroll is available. Use this time to take maybe at least one class, so you can get a feel for what a college course is really like.
Junior Year:
Again, keep your grades up. Take AP courses. Join the clubs you like again. This is perhaps the most difficult year for high schoolers. It is a good idea to look into colleges you want to go to that have the program you like. For instance, University of Pennsylvania has a 7-year accelerated program for someone interested of getting his/her Dental Degree in Medicine. The program gets you through undergrad and Dental school in seven years, saving a year on an average program. Calc Tech has excellent programs for future engineers and physicist. Johns Hopkins is world renowned for its medicine. Look into colleges that have programs best suited to your career choice and push yourself too meet their criteria for a good student. Schedule college visits and look at their campus as well as talk to an admissions officer. If you’re willing to put the effort, the college you visit is always willing to sit down with you and answer your questions. On that note, write down questions that you have for the college before you visit, because the person you speak with will like to see that you are actively engaging yourself in the college search. This is generally a good sign for colleges.
Take the SAT or ACT for sure this year. You need to know where you stand with the standardized tests. I suggest taking one in the beginning of the year, say October, then taking the January one. This gives you some time to prepare and push your score up while the information is fresh in your mind. Just because I recommend it though, doesn’t mean its law. I took the SAT in October and again in June. I simply didn’t have the time to take in during the year. For the SAT subject tests, try to take them in May or June, so that the information is still available for you. Remember that college board writes both the AP and SAT subject tests, meaning that they are very similar in content. In fact, the SAT subject tests are an easier, shorter, and more straightforward version of the AP test. Take them in conjunction to the classes you are enrolled under AP in, so that you are prepping for it in class without needing too much extra practice.
These are the keys to success in your Junior Year.
Summer Term:
The work piles on from Junior year this term. This is the best time to visit colleges and pick up application forms so you can prepare for the Fall when you actually do apply to colleges. It’s good to have a list of the colleges you want to apply to and to know how much all the application fees will add up to. It’ll look great on the resumé if you go to a research program or you attend a study abroad program. These greatly boost the quality of your application. It is not absolutely necessary though, so don’t feel too pressured, it is a good edge over the competition though.
Senior Year:
There is a contagious disease spreading. Its name: senioritis. The instant you catch this virus, you better snap out of it or your grades and possibly your chances of getting into college are almost guaranteed to be ruined. Keep up your involvement in your clubs, hopefully by now you have gathered enough service hours to graduate and possibly to get a silver cord. If not, gather the service hours first semester when there are more projects available for you to be involved in. Keep up your grades and try not to take really easy classes, you will find that when students take easy classes for the sake of a simpler senior year, it is harder for them to get accepted or their acceptance may be rescinded. Apply to the colleges of your choice. Don’t forget the deadlines are usually around October and November. Don’t miss the deadlines, or you will miss the chance to get into that college you wanted to go to. If you can, try to push for a silver knight’s award. The award recognizes seniors who design and participate in ventures that help the community on a wide scale. Push for scholarships as well, you will need money for college. When you get accepter to the college you want to go to, immediately take care of housing arrangements and financial aid so you actually attend the college. Don’t miss this opportunity because housing usually runs short and financial aid may run dry.
Some things to consider when looking at a college
• Financial Aid: we all need money, especially for education.
• Programs: Colleges that offer programs in what you want to do are ideal.
• Location: make sure you like the campus, don’t want to go somewhere you don’t like.
• SAT score range: it’s good to have a goal score for your SAT’s that fit the average for the college of your
choice.
• Dual Enrollment/AP: does the college of you choice accept these credits?
• Resident versus Non-resident costs: public universities make a distinction between the costs for those living in
the state already and those living out of state. This can save you a lot of money if you become a resident in
the state of the college of your choice.
More on what to consider in "The University" tab on this page.
If I have further questions?
Ask away on the contact us page or feel free to post your question on the forums.
What is a scholarship?
Simply a monetary contribution by either a public or private source towards your college education. These are crucial because we all need money and scholarships give you free money.
How do I get a scholarship?
There are tons of sites that offer scholarships, look for them on the links page. Otherwise Google scholarships and I’m sure you’ll either find NATEWORK- COLLEGE (this page) or actual scholarships. Be careful though, if the link is not posted on this site I don’t know if it is entirely credible and you shouldn’t simply assume its credible. When you find a scholarship, go to your guidance counselor and ask him/her if they know if the scholarship is credible. Don’t be scammed.
What kinds of scholarships are there?
All kinds. Some are open to everyone. Some are open to students in specific grade levels. Others are open to specific ethnicities. Look for scholarships that best suit you and apply for them. You never know what you’ll win and what you won’t, so its best to apply for as many as possible. Different scholarships offer different rewards.
Are there other methods of obtaining money?
Plenty. For one, you can get a job, Otherwise, look at possible financial aid or grants. Even student loans are a good possibility. Put a lot of effort into paying for your college education, because being unable to pay means no education for you. When in college, watch your finances carefully, and make sure you can put yourself through college.
If a college really wants you as a student, you will be offered a certain amount of money to pay for tuition by the school. University of Miami, Florida for example offers scholarships simply based on your GPA, giving you an edge monetarily.
If I have further questions?
Ask away on the contact us page or feel free to post your question on the forums.
Simply a monetary contribution by either a public or private source towards your college education. These are crucial because we all need money and scholarships give you free money.
How do I get a scholarship?
There are tons of sites that offer scholarships, look for them on the links page. Otherwise Google scholarships and I’m sure you’ll either find NATEWORK- COLLEGE (this page) or actual scholarships. Be careful though, if the link is not posted on this site I don’t know if it is entirely credible and you shouldn’t simply assume its credible. When you find a scholarship, go to your guidance counselor and ask him/her if they know if the scholarship is credible. Don’t be scammed.
What kinds of scholarships are there?
All kinds. Some are open to everyone. Some are open to students in specific grade levels. Others are open to specific ethnicities. Look for scholarships that best suit you and apply for them. You never know what you’ll win and what you won’t, so its best to apply for as many as possible. Different scholarships offer different rewards.
Are there other methods of obtaining money?
Plenty. For one, you can get a job, Otherwise, look at possible financial aid or grants. Even student loans are a good possibility. Put a lot of effort into paying for your college education, because being unable to pay means no education for you. When in college, watch your finances carefully, and make sure you can put yourself through college.
If a college really wants you as a student, you will be offered a certain amount of money to pay for tuition by the school. University of Miami, Florida for example offers scholarships simply based on your GPA, giving you an edge monetarily.
If I have further questions?
Ask away on the contact us page or feel free to post your question on the forums.
What should I look at when considering a college?
There are a lot of things to consider. Find out what college you think is best for you by asking yourself the following questions:
1. Is the university in state or out of state?
2. Is the university located in a place where I may not be able to handle the weather?
3. Is the university private or public?
4. Can I afford going to the university?
5. What financial aid is available?
6. How big is the university?
7. Can I be comfortable in a university of that size?
8. What do I want to study?
9. Does this university have specific programs for what I want to study?
10. Does the university offer majors/minor/possibilities for me to further study my hobbies?
11. What are the requirements to attend the university and how can I meet those requirements?
These are important questions to ask because they can narrow down your choice of universities from 100 to 10 possibilities. Once you have your list of universities and you compare the factors mentioned above, you can move on to the next step, visiting the universities.
Before you do that, there may be some great schools you haven't even heard of that may be better suited for you. Google the program you want and see what universities offer them. I found out about a few great schools with dental programs by doing this. A great site for looking up universities is the U.S. News and World Report. The site is a quick and easy way t find out about programs the different universities have and to find out a little bit about them. The only limitation is that sine the site ranks universities based on a specific formula, meaning some great schools may be ranked lower even though they have better opportunities for certain studies. Use your "my college planner" on the College Board website to better compare universities of your choice.
Visiting the Universities
You should visit the universities you think you'd like to go to. Information sessions, or infosessions are great for finding out about a university from an admissions officer. This also provides you with an opportunity to discuss specific possibilities at the university that could benefit you. Ask about what you're interested in and how the university can foster your learning in what you're interested in. Touring the campus is ideal for developing a sense of what the feel of the university will be like if you attend. When in either the infosession or the campus tour, ask the following questions to get a feel from the admissions officer or the tour guide (usually a student at the university) what it could be like to be a student at the university:
1. What is the policy on cars? (Can I bring a car? Where would I park it? etc)
• This is important if you drive. For instance I have a car, but the universities I want to attend are in locations
that either make it entirely useless to have a car or make it very inconvenient to have one.
2. I want to be ___profession____ (In my case an orthodontist), what programs do you have to help me reach
my goal? (In my case, pre-dental programs. Remember that these programs are not majors, so you may
major in one music and still be on the pre-med program in your school.)
• Some schools offer study abroad programs to help you learn about other cultures. Many schools have
programs that can help prepare you for the profession of your choice.
3. Is there an accelerated ___pre-professional___ program? (Get your professional degree with less years.
Useful for people going into many years of education.)
4. What kinds of dorms are there? (Dorm style means that there's a room with 2, maybe 3 ppl in it and
the whole floor shares a bathroom. Can be co-ed or single gender floors. Suite/apartment style means
rooms with private bathrooms)
• See how long you are required to live in the dorms and how convenient it would be to live outside the
university dorms.
5. What are the chances that I will be able to get a dorm for my undergrad years? (Freshman year usually
guaranteed, but look at sophomore and junior years. Many students opt to move out of the dorms at some
point after freshman year).
6. Work Study, how does this affect my financial aid package? (Work study is the program where the school
provides you a job that pays for your college education).
7. What are the average SAT Scores? (the admissions officer always covers this in the meeting, just listen for
it).
8. What does this school look for in a student? (the admissions officer always covers this as well, listen for it).
9. I'm very passionate about __hobby__, even if I don't major in __hobby__, could I still become a part of your
school's groups related to __hobby__?
10. What sports facilities do you have and when are they accessible? (Being healthy should stay above being a
perfect student. Your mind can't function if your body doesn't.)
11. Deadlines for applications? (Listen for this one as well, you don't want to miss the deadline).
12. Do you have any materials that describe your ___pre-professional___ program or any majors I may be
interested in? (This is good, pick up as much paperwork as possible because they usually are helpful).
13. AP/Dual Enrollment. What's your policy? Is there a limit to the number of credits I'm allowed to transfer in
after I am accepted? (Emphasis on after, because it is not transfered in with your application. Also, the cap
may be a certain number of credits. Each passed test provides approximately 3 credits, depends on what
subject it is.)
14. What else can I do to get involved? (ask yourself this question and note it when you're in a tour.
Some things may catch your eye, remember them. If something piques your interest, ask about it in the
tour.)
The idea is to have this mad lib written down and filled out somewhere and when you go on your tour and sit in the infosession, it's good to note some or all of these things. Also look at the quality of the programs provided by the university and the general feel of the university. Note these so you can consider them when applying to the college. Bring a notepad with you, or something to jot down notes as you're walking around. Also, don't forget that the admissions officers like to see students asking questions and looking interested, make a lasting impression!
**WARNING** Never say "I don't like ___subject___", or ask "Do I have to take classes about ___subject___?" Always say I'm good at one thing, but "I am more passionate about", or "I prefer" something else. Don't let the admissions officers think you won't do a particular thing because you don't like it. This impression leaves a bad taste in the officer's mouth and tells them you may not be an ideal student for their school.
Ask if you can exempt credits through examination or presentation. Language credits can usually be bypassed to some extent by providing SAT subject test scores or by speaking with a language professor at the university.
What if I have further questions?
Don't be afraid to ask me at the contact us page or post your question on the forums. Your guidance officer should also be able to provide you with some assistance.
There are a lot of things to consider. Find out what college you think is best for you by asking yourself the following questions:
1. Is the university in state or out of state?
2. Is the university located in a place where I may not be able to handle the weather?
3. Is the university private or public?
4. Can I afford going to the university?
5. What financial aid is available?
6. How big is the university?
7. Can I be comfortable in a university of that size?
8. What do I want to study?
9. Does this university have specific programs for what I want to study?
10. Does the university offer majors/minor/possibilities for me to further study my hobbies?
11. What are the requirements to attend the university and how can I meet those requirements?
These are important questions to ask because they can narrow down your choice of universities from 100 to 10 possibilities. Once you have your list of universities and you compare the factors mentioned above, you can move on to the next step, visiting the universities.
Before you do that, there may be some great schools you haven't even heard of that may be better suited for you. Google the program you want and see what universities offer them. I found out about a few great schools with dental programs by doing this. A great site for looking up universities is the U.S. News and World Report. The site is a quick and easy way t find out about programs the different universities have and to find out a little bit about them. The only limitation is that sine the site ranks universities based on a specific formula, meaning some great schools may be ranked lower even though they have better opportunities for certain studies. Use your "my college planner" on the College Board website to better compare universities of your choice.
Visiting the Universities
You should visit the universities you think you'd like to go to. Information sessions, or infosessions are great for finding out about a university from an admissions officer. This also provides you with an opportunity to discuss specific possibilities at the university that could benefit you. Ask about what you're interested in and how the university can foster your learning in what you're interested in. Touring the campus is ideal for developing a sense of what the feel of the university will be like if you attend. When in either the infosession or the campus tour, ask the following questions to get a feel from the admissions officer or the tour guide (usually a student at the university) what it could be like to be a student at the university:
1. What is the policy on cars? (Can I bring a car? Where would I park it? etc)
• This is important if you drive. For instance I have a car, but the universities I want to attend are in locations
that either make it entirely useless to have a car or make it very inconvenient to have one.
2. I want to be ___profession____ (In my case an orthodontist), what programs do you have to help me reach
my goal? (In my case, pre-dental programs. Remember that these programs are not majors, so you may
major in one music and still be on the pre-med program in your school.)
• Some schools offer study abroad programs to help you learn about other cultures. Many schools have
programs that can help prepare you for the profession of your choice.
3. Is there an accelerated ___pre-professional___ program? (Get your professional degree with less years.
Useful for people going into many years of education.)
4. What kinds of dorms are there? (Dorm style means that there's a room with 2, maybe 3 ppl in it and
the whole floor shares a bathroom. Can be co-ed or single gender floors. Suite/apartment style means
rooms with private bathrooms)
• See how long you are required to live in the dorms and how convenient it would be to live outside the
university dorms.
5. What are the chances that I will be able to get a dorm for my undergrad years? (Freshman year usually
guaranteed, but look at sophomore and junior years. Many students opt to move out of the dorms at some
point after freshman year).
6. Work Study, how does this affect my financial aid package? (Work study is the program where the school
provides you a job that pays for your college education).
7. What are the average SAT Scores? (the admissions officer always covers this in the meeting, just listen for
it).
8. What does this school look for in a student? (the admissions officer always covers this as well, listen for it).
9. I'm very passionate about __hobby__, even if I don't major in __hobby__, could I still become a part of your
school's groups related to __hobby__?
10. What sports facilities do you have and when are they accessible? (Being healthy should stay above being a
perfect student. Your mind can't function if your body doesn't.)
11. Deadlines for applications? (Listen for this one as well, you don't want to miss the deadline).
12. Do you have any materials that describe your ___pre-professional___ program or any majors I may be
interested in? (This is good, pick up as much paperwork as possible because they usually are helpful).
13. AP/Dual Enrollment. What's your policy? Is there a limit to the number of credits I'm allowed to transfer in
after I am accepted? (Emphasis on after, because it is not transfered in with your application. Also, the cap
may be a certain number of credits. Each passed test provides approximately 3 credits, depends on what
subject it is.)
14. What else can I do to get involved? (ask yourself this question and note it when you're in a tour.
Some things may catch your eye, remember them. If something piques your interest, ask about it in the
tour.)
The idea is to have this mad lib written down and filled out somewhere and when you go on your tour and sit in the infosession, it's good to note some or all of these things. Also look at the quality of the programs provided by the university and the general feel of the university. Note these so you can consider them when applying to the college. Bring a notepad with you, or something to jot down notes as you're walking around. Also, don't forget that the admissions officers like to see students asking questions and looking interested, make a lasting impression!
**WARNING** Never say "I don't like ___subject___", or ask "Do I have to take classes about ___subject___?" Always say I'm good at one thing, but "I am more passionate about", or "I prefer" something else. Don't let the admissions officers think you won't do a particular thing because you don't like it. This impression leaves a bad taste in the officer's mouth and tells them you may not be an ideal student for their school.
Ask if you can exempt credits through examination or presentation. Language credits can usually be bypassed to some extent by providing SAT subject test scores or by speaking with a language professor at the university.
What if I have further questions?
Don't be afraid to ask me at the contact us page or post your question on the forums. Your guidance officer should also be able to provide you with some assistance.
