How to Build a Great College Application

Are you interested in going to college? Do you have a few competitive dream schools that you would love to attend? Building a great college application can start as early as Freshman year, but even if you are not a Freshman it is not to too late to start focusing on these 5 areas to build the best application possible!

Think of it like this, the college admission process is really just the college trying to get to know who you are. The college carefully assess your high school grades, difficulty of courses, standardized test scores, admissions essays, extracurricular activities, and in some cases recommendations.

1. Get the best possible grades you can during ALL four years of high school. Grades are extremely important. Take academically rigorous classes ALL four years. You should carry as many challenging courses as you can handle—college prep, Advanced Placement (AP), honors, and International Baccalaureate (IB).
   

2. Practice taking the SAT or ACT. Become familiar with the types of material covered and the test directions. Take the PSAT during your sophomore year. Determine what knowledge and skills you lack and master them for the actual tests. Take advantage of free online SAT or ACT materials, study guides, practice tests, tutors, and prep courses before or during your junior year. Try taking both the SAT and ACT. Colleges will accept either test. You may do better on one test than the other. This will boost your chances for admission. Take the SAT or ACT more than once if you are not satisfied with your scores.
   

3. Take SAT Subject Tests and AP Tests. Competitive colleges may require you to take some of these exams and they take note of exam results. Only AP scores of five (5) are accepted by top colleges. Think of potential majors when putting together a testing plan. Consider taking a SAT Subject Test during your Freshman or Sophomore year if you have taken an honors Chemistry or Biology Course. You can take as many SAT Subject test as you want, and do not need to submit any results if you do not want to, so there is no downside to taking them.
   

4. Spend sufficient time developing your college essays and writing skills. Think and reflect before you write. This is your opportunity to show your school of choice who you are. Convey to them that you are excited, passionate, and intellectually curious about academics. Make the real “you” stand out from the rest of the crowd! Get feedback on the essays from your teachers and/or other school personnel, respond to their feedback, then ask for more. Repeat this process as many times as you can.
   

5. Become involved in your school and/or community during four years of high school. Summer vacations are a great time to get time to volunteer, and join extra-curricular activities that interest you during the school year. You should consider keeping track of your involvement in extracurricular and co-curricular activities, and keep leaders of these activities in mind to ask for recommendations later on in the application process.
   

   Keep in mind it you will decrease your stress if you start your search for colleges early, but definitely want to begin before the start of your junior year. This gives you adequate time to research colleges, complete applications, write essays, and taking necessary exams. If you need help planning a college application, constructing a testing plan, or have any questions about the SAT/ACT, give us a call at 650-273-7258