Education Articles from College Matching Service

If you are thinking about your college admission, you must start planning right away. Never submit application to only one college. Make sure to apply to more than two or three colleges, so that if you fail to get admission into one college, you may get admission into the other. More than 75% applicants get acceptance into their first chosen college. Let us discuss a few steps that you must follow for getting accepted into a college easily.

Getting Accepted Into a College Easily

• Try to get high grades throughout your educational career. If you are willing to get acceptance into your dream college, you must get good position and grades. If you get better marks compared to others, your chance of getting accepted into a college becomes much easy. Students having high GPAs receive more financial aid from aid offices and more attention from admission departments.

• Take up advanced placement (AP) courses. You must take AP courses if your high school offers them. AP courses will help you to acquire college courses even without paying any college tuition fees. They will also make your admission officers realize how serious you are about your education.

• Try to achieve high score in your SAT exam. With a high SAT and a high GPA score, you will get acceptance into a college of your choice easily, and you will also get free scholarship. You may increase your GPA and SAT score by taking a SAT prep course or by selecting a good SAT guide.

• Try to involve yourself in activities outside school time table. Participate in charities, events, functions, seminars and other extra-curricular activities – this will enhance your college application and your life. While choosing the extra-curricular activities, pick up something that you will really enjoy or have a special preference for. As a result, the time spend on such activities will become even more fulfilling.

Changing admission deadlines and electronic applications have not prevented learners from asking a simple question: How to get accepted into a good college? Planning to start a college can become the most exhilarating time in the life of a student who has just passed his/her higher secondary school. If you improve the chances of getting college acceptance, you will find abundance of opportunities that are related to your career, and which will also help you to become successful in life. Here are few tips that will help you to improve the chances for getting accepted into a good college.

Tips for Improving the Chances of Getting College Acceptance

• During your high school years, although you spent a lot of time in shopping and dating, you must also attend your classes regularly and study hard. Most colleges and institutions prefer to accept students who have proved that they are careful about their coursework and study, and have achieved high grades.

• If you get the chance of becoming a volunteer, grab it. A lot of colleges prefer to see the spirit of leadership and compassion in their students.

• Involve yourself in few activities that are outside school timetable. Being a member of sports team or some club will improve your chance of getting acceptance into a good college of your choice. Your involvement in additional activities will make the admission committee realize that you are able to manage time efficiently and handle stress competently.

• It is always advisable to apply early to a college of your choice, since all colleges have fixed quota for different categories of students. If you delay applying into a college of your choice, you may not get seat into that college anymore.

• Today, most colleges need recommendation letter to admit students. The best individual who can provide this letter of recommendation for you is your teacher. If you have to write an essay during your admission process, your teacher can also help you by reviewing it. This will improve your chance of getting acceptance into the college of your choice.

If you keep these points in mind, you will find that getting accepted into a college becomes much easier. Also, this will improve your chance of getting admitted to a college preferred by you.

College applications, at a first glance, may seem quite easy. You provide basic and essential facts about your achievements, education and background. However, one portion that puzzles many is the portion for extra curricular activities. Your extra curricular activities are important and crucial on your college application. This is the segment where an applicant can set himself apart from others by using a little strategy. You can make your extra-curricular activities notable within the small space of application form by focusing on leadership.

Make the List

First, make a listing of your extra-curricular activities, jobs and summer activities. Note down each and every events; big or small. Always remember that extra curricular activities include different experiences such as teaching kids in schools, playing triangle in band, volunteering at any organization, etc. To make your extra-curricular activities noticeable in your college application, you must list down the following:

• Dates you worked or participated in any extra curricular activities.

• Responsibilities and leadership positions held by you in any particular event.

• Number of hours you spent on a job or activity each week.

• Name of the business, program or organization

• Special projects which you oversaw or initiated.

• The description of the business, program or group.

If you face trouble in remembering everything, you can use the memories of other people. Show the listing to your advisors, friends, siblings, teachers and parents who might recollect something you did.

How to Proceed

After you have made the listing, you must prioritize since you will not get enough space to write down everything on your application form. While prioritizing, you must give more importance to those activities where you have demonstrated leadership. Your extra curricular activities play an important role during application process. Hence, while you describe your roles, never hesitate to boast a little. You must highlight the significance of your responsibilities and contributions. Admission officers prefer to admit students who are leaders as well as members. Students, who show leadership both outside and inside the classroom, are basically preferred during college admission. If you organize your extra-curricular activities properly, you will create good impression on admission officers that will help you to get admission into a college easily.

Selecting a college that is right for you is not at all an easy task. It is an important decision in a student’s life, and he/she must consider a few factors such as social situation, future professional goals, geographic location and academics before choosing the right college. Of course, one cannot also ignore the monetary factor while choosing a college. There are more than five thousand colleges and universities to apply to. Then how will you find which is the right one for you? Learning and education is an investment for lifetime; hence, selecting the college that is right for you is an important and tough decision.

How to Choose the Right College?

Firstly, you must consider few important questions. If you do not consider the questions now, you might suffer in the future for making a wrong decision in choosing a college. Don’t ever apply to a university or college only because it is a famous school, or because your friend has applied there. Here are the questions that you must ask yourself:

• Type of college: What type of college do you want to attend? Do you want to study in a four year college or two year institution?

• Location of the university or college: Which location is preferable for you? Do you want to stay close, or stay far away from your home? You must also consider whether you prefer to study in a small campus or a large campus college.

• Cost of college: Before you select the college that is right for you just ask yourself whether you or your family can bear the cost of your college. Also consider whether the college of your choice offers scholarships.

• Academics: Does the college of your choice have strong arts curricula that will help you to work in numerous career fields? What type of courses are offered by the institution and how much helpful are they?

• Campus Life: Are recreational and athletic facilities such as theater, band, clubs, and intramural sports available with the college selected by you?

If you understand your requirements you will be able to narrow down your list of chosen colleges even further, and will be able to choose the college that is just perfect for you.

It is the application that you send to your college that gives a complete picture of you. Therefore you should have an application which highlights all your strong points. Do not forget to mention these in your application for getting admission in a good college. These components are:

1) Your grades: The grades that you have scored in your high school are extremely important. They show how good you are as a student and what are your potentials as a student. It counts more if you have good grades in tough courses which are in high demand.

2) Recommendation of your teacher: Recommendations are important parts of your application. An application asks for recommendations from two of your teachers or coaches. Since they can help your cause tremendously choose the right recommender. Go for the person who likes you and was your teacher or guide in your high school years.

3) Scores in SAT and ACT: The scores of the SAT and the ACT do matter. If you have good scores in SAT and ACT along with good grades, then your application will automatically get the highest attention.

4) Extracurricular activities: If you have taken part in extracurricular activities which are unique, they will definitely complement your application. You need to show that you have the passion for your favorite extracurricular activity. It will make the high school officials interested.

5) The essay: This is another important component of your application. It is the place where you can explain your faults. Your essay should have three angles. These are:

i) A try at explaining your personality. Also to give explanations for your faults.

ii) Let the world know about your hope as well as vision

iii) If you are passionate about anything, let it come to light

6) Other components: Other than what are mentioned above, there might be some thing more that you want to mention in the application. Some more talents that you have but did not mention in the extracurricular part for that you can attach a video with the application. But do not overdo it. Only mention those which reveal a new aspect of yours.

Follow these rules for making an application and you will surely get the admission to your favorite college.