How could I make my application look appealing to my dream college?

Be a part of every club you can, join student council. When you are applying there is way more room for activities than you think on the application, really try and stack that section.

This is a super important question and sometimes is only answered in one way. Usually when someone helps you build a resume, they help you build a generic resume that you can send out in mass quantities to a bunch of jobs at once. However, if you want the attention of you dream job, you have to understand the job you are applying for. Once you understand what the company does and what the job entails, you should then tailor the various aspects of your resume to sound like they are correlated what they are looking for. For example, when describing your experience, describe how it relates to your dream job. When I applied for a sales job, I described how when I worked at a pizza parlor, it helped me learn how to speak with people and understand what they want. A cover letter is also a great way to start your resume and tailor it specifically to what you want! There are tons of cover letter example online.

Hi Madaline, in addition to stellar academic and standardized test grades, colleges like to see well roundedness in their applicants. This would include any extracurricular activities such as school clubs and sports. Community service and volunteerism can also help. Colleges want their applicants to succeed and having activities that balance the academic side will go a long way.

Colleges are looking for well-rounded students and leaders, not necessarily just high grades anymore. Try and stack up some volunteering hours, join/create clubs, work a job or two on the side, join DECA or student government, tutor/mentor others, talk to your coach about becoming team captain, etc. Obviously work hard in school and study for the standardized tests, but it's just as important to show that you can balance school with various other activities (and you not only participated but excelled and lead)!