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How can I make myself a more attractive out-of-state applicant to colleges?

I'm planning on applying to NYU. However, since I live all the way down in Florida and my single mother is low income, I can't afford to visit the campus plus all the other campuses of the schools I plan on going to. I want to communicate with students and admission counselors from the school and make myself seem like a good option. How can I do that? #college #college-advice #student

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Subject: Career question for you

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Jacob’s Answer

Hi, Gabriela,


I think that any school worth applying to will be more than willing to do whatever it can to help get you in touch with current students and admissions counselors. A great starting point for research on any school you are interested in is the school's website. I can't imagine there are many schools without links to their admissions offices located there. Many schools offer virtual tours too. Check YouTube for videos of schools' orientations and other extracurricular/academic events. Use technology to your advantage. Simple Google and YouTube searches will likely yield tremendous results for you. I volunteered at my school's admissions office and prospective students had phone conversations with admissions counselors routinely. Don't be afraid to simply pick up the phone and call!


I hope this helps - good luck. Don't hesitate to reach out with any other questions.

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Ken’s Answer

Too many people spend way too much money needlessly on an education and end up with unnecessarily high debt, which is very hard to repay. It is a good idea to view education as any business decision and spend economically to ensure a higher rate of return.


It really does not matter what school you attend, as the most important factors are how well you do with the school work, which is an indication to an employer about what kind of employee you will be, and the effort that you put forth in your networking to set up networking connections that will help you throughout your education/career journey. Here is an important video for you to watch: ## http://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_without_over_parenting?utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_content=talk&utm_term=education ##


Here are some tips on reducing the cost of college. ##  http://www.educationplanner.org/students/paying-for-school/ways-to-pay/reduce-college-costs.shtml

 

Ken recommends the following next steps:

Here is a very important beginning point: Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .
The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Richard’s Answer

Get good grades. Take a prep course for SAT or ACT. Try to form a narrative with your extracurricular activities. For example if you are passionate about science, your activities could include science bowl and volunteering could include mentoring underprivileged children at science and math. Or if you have a job, use it to your advantage. Admissions committees look favorably on work experienc.
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