How to Prepare for College Admission

College admissions is a highly competitive process. Your chances of admission to the college of your choice will improve greatly if you take a few moments and prepare yourself for the upcoming task.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Transcripts
• Resume
• List of extra-curricular activities
• List of strengths and weaknesses
• List of power words (pronouns that describe you)
• List of institutional requirements

1. Pull your information together. The last thing you want to do when applying for college admission is have to dig around, at the last minute, for your application materials. Acquire copies of your high school transcripts and test scores. Create a resume outlining your employment history and extra-curricular activities, including all honors and awards.
2. Make a list of all institutional requirements and double-check that you are meeting or exceeding each and every requirement. If you are lacking in one or more areas, contact the admissions office and find out how the item is perceived on their rating scale and whether there are acceptable substitutions. Never assume that your overall GPA and/or admissions test scores, however good they may be, will carry you through to victory - admissions offices really are concerned with a student's overall ability to meet and exceed their expectations (academic and otherwise).
3. Create a draft of your general application and personal essay (you'll need to personalize each application and essay for each individual college you apply to) and have at least two other people review it and make comments. Your purpose here is to (1) sell yourself (use power words to describe things you know and can do), (2) provide the unknown admissions committee with a well-rounded picture of who you are, (3) demonstrate to the committee that you are capable of meeting and exceeding their expectations, (4) prove that you've both depth and breadth of knowledge in a variety of topics related to both academia and life in general.

Tips & Warnings

• Know what's required to apply.
• Prove you meet the requirements and exceed the college's admission expectations.
• Prepare a complete application and essay.
• Apply to more than one school - generally at least three - to up your anticipated rate of success.
• Good grades and good test scores are not guarantees of college admission.
• Always have a backup plan in case you are denied admission.