College seems to be on the mind of almost all students after sixth grade. Students conference with school counselors for the CCR (College and Career Readiness) meetings, but do those meetings cover everything? Here are what students should do in order to be prepared and qualified for college:
Study hard for the ACT/SAT.
If kids don’t study for the ACT/SAT, they shouldn’t expect to do well. There are classes you can take to prepare, as well as specialized tutors, preparation apps on cell phones, and practice texts. Before a big test, the best thing a student can do is study and especially on the ACT/SAT. Reading ACT/SAT textbooks will also help the student be well prepared for the test, and learn some of the things that will be on the tests. These textbooks have information about the test, and practice questions - that won’t match the questions on the test word-for-word - but are very similar and have the same level of difficulty. These test are some of the most important a student will ever take, and will make a huge impact on whether they get into college or not.
Have an idea of what kind of college they want to go to.
It’s hard for a student to pick a college, but even harder if they don’t know what kind they want to go to. It’s usually helpful for a student to know what he or she wants to do for a career, but if they don’t know, they can always go to a two-year community college and transfer to a university once they have a decided major. Liberal Arts colleges also give a strong foundation for a number of careers.
If they do know what kind of job they want to have, then research what kind of school would be the best. If they want to be a lawyer, they should look into what universities have good branches of law school. If they want to be a journalist, they should research which schools are best for writers. It’s also important that they keep their personal interests in mind. Flexible schedules, small class sizes, or study-abroad options are all things to look into.
Create a list of colleges.
Having a list of potential colleges can be very helpful. Students will always have their first-pick for college/university, but it’s important to have a backup plan in case they don’t get into their preferred college. Students should have a wide range of colleges on the list, as well as have an idea of what each college’s requirements. It will also help to know what the average acceptance rate, SAT/ACT score, and GPA average is for the school as a whole.
Write a unique college essay.
College essays are one of the most important things when it comes to college applications. A high school student recently wrote an outstanding essay on Costco of all things. The essay got her accepted into Harvard, as well as other ivy leagues. If a student has an amazing essay, that will be the key for getting them into college. A unique essay really stands out in an application pool, and if someone can write a good essay, and they have good test scores, they’re likely in.
Get involved in school clubs and activities.
Colleges enjoy seeing students that show dedication outside of school. Extracurricular activities, volunteering credits, past job experience, and sports teams reflect well on a student’s resume and application. Doing other activities show that a student is good at managing time and can handle juggling school and activities at the same time. Plus, they can also be fun!
Take AP classes and score well on the test.
Teachers strongly suggest that their students to take Advanced Placement classes in high school, but recommend these AP classes are ones not related to a student’s major, or are even the classes a student doesn’t like. For example, one shouldn’t take all English AP classes when they’re favorite subject is English, because once they’re in college, they’ll already have credits for that class and won’t be able to take it in college. Instead, it’s better to get the boring, uninteresting classes out of the way, and leave room for the fun classes once in college.
Maintain a high GPA.
This ties in with having AP classes. Even one AP class can raise a student’s GPA a potential .25, and this is a big deal to schools after high school. It shows that a student is dedicated to their classes and school work. Colleges don’t want slackers - they want hard workers who wouldn’t drop out of school when things get too hard.
Ask the right teachers for letters of recommendation.
Students don’t always have to go to their favorite teachers for recommendation letters. It’s also beneficial to go to a teacher who’s seen them improve and grow a lot, even if that isn’t their favorite class or their favorite teacher. Teachers want students to get into college and university, so they won’t go around writing negative letters for a student applying to college. They’re called ‘letters of recommendation’ for a reason.
Have transcripts that show they are an all-around good student.
A transcript shows everything about the person. It gives their test scores, GPA, essays, extracurriculars, and about everything they look at in college. The transcript should be well-rounded; for example, a low GPA but a high score on the ACT/SAT might suggest that the student doesn’t take school as seriously as they should. Transcripts should have many activities or leadership opportunities that a student was involved in, such as community service. All of these make for really good traits a college looks at.
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