One of the biggest milestones in a person’s life is graduating from high school and going to college. For many teenagers, this signifies a turning point in their lives, a new journey that they have to embark on and complete.
Senior students, though, still need to go through a few hurdles more before they can be called college freshmen after graduating from high school. These challenges, which they have to pass and overcome, are part of their college application.
To help you weather through and emerge successfully from the whole college application process, here are some tips you can follow:
1.Decide on your course
If you haven’t decided which course to take up in college, do so now. Take into consideration your likes, interests, and strengths. Think about what you want to do in the future as well to know which course is the best one for you to take.
Don’t forget to consider your finances as well. If you are planning on applying for a scholarship, factor this in your choice of course, too.
In case you are having a hard time selecting which course to enroll in, you can ask your family, teachers, and friends for their input.
There are also learning centers that offer college admission counseling. Qualified staff will help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses, interests, and potential. With their assistance, you will be able to narrow down your list of possible courses to take and even which college to go to.
2.Make a list of colleges and universities you can attend
Once you have shortlisted the courses you can choose from, start narrowing down the list of schools you can go to.
Ideally, you should have two or three dream colleges you would like to be part of. You should also have the same number for ‘safety net’ colleges or universities or schools that you are certain you will get into.
By applying to colleges in each of these two categories, you will increase the chances of you getting accepted into at least one or two schools in each category. You will then have at least two options to choose from which means you don’t have to settle for a college that you may not even like.
3.Visit your shortlisted schools
To be 100% certain that you will like going to a particular college or university, visit their campus. Check out the classrooms, library, gym, dorm or student accommodations, and other facilities.
In case you are interested in taking up a hospitality course, take the time to find out if the college has the amenities that give students plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning.
If possible, sit in during a class to have an idea of the teaching methodologies employed by faculty in the school. If you find everything fascinating, you will have the inspiration you need to submit a great college application essay and to work on the other requirements.
4.Check if you meet admission requirements
There are certain requirements set by universities or colleges and by course coordinatorsyou need to pass in order to be accepted. These can include a high SAT or ACT score, four years of English, math, science, language, and social studies.
Additionally, you also have to correctly complete application forms and submit an impressive college application essay. You may even have to go through a number of college admission interviews as well.
Make sure you meet the initial requirements first; this means having the relevant documents on hand to back up your claims. If you have all these, you can then work on your SAT or ACT exam, college application essays, recommendation letters, and hopefully acing all the entrance exams and interviews.
5.Identify what you want to highlight in your application
When applying to colleges, you need to make sure the admissions officers get to know you and what value you will be bringing to their esteemed establishment.
Keep in mind that many colleges and universities only choose applicants who have something special or different to offer. These may include qualities such as leadership, creativity, scientific thinking, compassion for the less fortunate, etc.
Make sure you are able to convey the kind of character or personality you have, strengths, and everything you can offer to your potential college or university through your essay, application form, resume, recommendation letters, and interview.
The whole college application process can really be tiring and time-consuming.
However, you don’t have to go through the whole thing alone. Your family, teachers, friends, and classmates can help you out. Providers of college admission counseling services can also assist you at certain stages of the whole process to make the process seamless and efficient.
AUTHOR BIO
MaloyBurman is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Premier Genie FZ LLC. He is responsible for driving Premier Genie into a leadership position in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education space in Asia, Middle East and Africa and building a solid brand value. Premier Genie is currently running 5 centers in Dubai and 5 centers in India with a goal to multiply that over the next 5 years.
