1) Know why you are applying to each specific college, and clearly express those reasons. Does the college have a great program for your intended major? Does it offer impressive internships, or have a high acceptance rate to med school? Does it host a study abroad program in a particular country that would benefit your academic interests? Let each college know the specifics as to why it’s a great fit, as colleges strongly favor applicants whom they believe will attend their school, if accepted.
2) Cover the basics – which means earning a great GPA while taking a competitive course load and posting impressive SAT scores. Many high schools in New Jersey offer twenty or more AP courses, and colleges consider how competitive a course load you took based on the options you were provided. As for SAT scores, the “average” SAT score at several New Jersey high schools, including Montgomery, Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro North and South, all topped 1,300. So the bar is set high for students who want to stand out among their peers.
3) Write a resume, early in your high school years, so you will have time to fill in the gaps that become evident when you put your life story in writing. A resume will later be an effective tool for sharing your activities and accomplishments without worrying about the limited space allocated for this purpose on most college applications.
4) Have a “passion project” – something you are particularly great at and can bring with you to enhance a college community. Have you launched a business, initiated a profitable charitable drive, written and published a book, hosted an art exhibition, or developed an impressive skill or talent? Colleges are seeking a well-rounded student body comprised of students who have varying attributes.
5) Engage in volunteer work. Colleges favor students who have demonstrated awareness of, and empathy for, the local and global community. Colleges offer limitless opportunities for students to engage in volunteer work in almost every area of life on the local, national and international arena. Students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to helping others during their high school years are much more likely to be altruists during their college years.
6) Write an impressive essay. Most students start out with the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 700 colleges. It requires one essay (that can be used for all of the college applications) between 250-650 words. Students need to think of something they want to share with the college admission people that wouldn’t otherwise come across in their application. The goal of an effective college essay is to show insight into one’s admirable character, a sense of direction for the future, and a thirst for knowledge and opportunities in the next stage of life.
7) Recognize that “optional” really isn’t optional. If colleges ask for something – even if they say it’s optional – do it, and do it to the best of your ability. This comes up frequently in the form of supplemental essay questions for individual colleges. Aside from the main Common App essay, many colleges list shorter, “optional” essays asking students various versions of why their school is a good fit. Realize that other applicants – your competitors – will be doing everything requested by the colleges, and you don’t want to be at a disadvantage.
8) Get the advantage of doing things “early.” If you have one top college, applying “early decision” is likely to greatly increase your odds of being accepted. For all of the other colleges on your list, applying “early action” (if offered) will get your application reviewed early and get you an early response – typically by the time winter break rolls around. It really takes the pressure off when you have college acceptances in hand early on in your senior year.
9) Personalize each application. Every college is greatly concerned with its “yield” — the percent of accepted students who actually enroll. So the best strategy to actually gain acceptance is to convince the college/university that you will almost certainly attend if given the opportunity to do so. If at all possible, be sure to visit any college to which you are applying, sign in so the college has a record of your visit, and take notes of the college’s specific qualities that make it so appealing. At the end of each college application essay, be sure to include a paragraph stating specifically why that particular college is the ideal one for you.
10) Do the interview. If given the opportunity to meet with an admissions officer, be sure to do so. But also be sure to be prepared. You will almost certainly be asked why you want to attend, or what specifically attracts you to the school. You want to have a specific, strong answer. Having a friend who attends, or the fact that the campus is pretty, will not suffice. Also, be prepared to ask a question or two. A former assistant dean of admissions at Princeton and UPenn said, “it tells me a lot about the student, not much of it good, when the applicant has absolutely no questions to ask.”
Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.
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