How to Get Into a Top College With Ordinary Grades
In today’s competitive society, success generally depends on two things: proper positioning and energetic promotion. It’s no different for a student who wants to be accepted into a top-notch college. A student with board scores in the 500s and a B average has plenty of options, if he knows how to self-promote. Read on to learn how to get into a top college with ordinary grades.
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Instructions
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Take the right courses in high school. The quality and level of courses you take actually count for more than grades. A B in an advanced placement course counts for more than an A in a standard track course.
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Take review courses and read review books for the college boards. If you take them a second time, you should show improvement.
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Nail the essay in the application form. Make sure it’s spelled right, grammatically correct and interesting. Give the admissions office a reason to notice you. Highlight any interesting activities or interests, such as work or volunteer experience, sports, hobbies or other strengths.
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Ask teachers and employers for recommendations. Encourage them to be specific about any special talents or qualities you have. You want them to go beyond, “Sally is a fine student and a joy to teach.”
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Apply to unlikely schools or to schools in which you expect to be a minority. Colleges look for diversity. As a small-town student, you may be just what a large urban university like Harvard is looking for. Jewish? Try a Catholic school. Male? Try a newly integrated woman’s college.
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Apply to your parents’ alma mater. Before you dismiss the idea, consider that an alumnus parent boosts admission chances significantly.
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Tips & Warnings
Don’t feel you have to be well-rounded. Whatever you may have heard, it’s better to be really good at one thing than to be mediocre at a lot of things.
Don’t take the college boards more than twice. Colleges will think you’re worried or pushy.
Don’t send recommendations from friends or family. Colleges consider them fluff.
