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mckenzie
Student
Gallup, New Mexico
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How can I get into a good college?
I’m a senior at miyamura high school. I want to know what’s the number one thing i have to do to get in a good college besides good grades. #high-school
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4 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1590
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
5 THINGS COLLEGE ADMISSION OFFERS LOOK FOR
It’s easy to think that choosing a college is something you do only in your senior year of high school, but here are some important steps to take to help you make the best college decision when twelfth grade finally rolls around. From taking the right classes, to earning good grades, to making the most of your time outside of school, to scoping out the different kinds of colleges that are out there.
1) HIGH GRADE POINT AVERAGE – It goes without question that grades are an extremely important element of your college application. Colleges will ask you to submit official transcripts from your high school and possibly recalculate your grade point average based on some internal system they use for weighting different types of courses. Your goal, from the first year of high school forward, is to achieve the best grades you can. If you had a rough freshman year, but have since rebounded with much stronger grades, fear not, because colleges certainly look for trends in academic achievement – and a record of constant improvement when your GPA is not as strong as you would like is a good sign to most admissions counselors about your growth and potential.
2) CHALLENGING COLLEGE PREP COURSES – Your challenge is not just to get the best grades you can – but to get the best grades you can in the most academically challenging courses as you can. You certainly do not need to enroll in an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at your high school, but where you have the strengths, skills, and aptitude, you should at least strive for Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Most colleges will place greater weight on these "tougher" courses – and even go so far as to rate a B in an advanced class (IB, Honors, AP) on a higher scale than an A in a comparable mainstream class.
3) QUALITY RECOMMENDATION LETTERS FROM YOUR TEACHERS – The recommendation letters that you ask your teachers and your guidance counselor to write can play a key role in your college application. Ideally, you have a few favorite teachers – teachers who not only know the quality of your work and academic acumen, but also can talk about some of your personal qualities. It's best to ask your teachers for letters as early as you can so that they have the time to write a quality letter; obviously the most popular teachers will need even more time if they have requests from many of their students.
4) LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN A FEW ORGANIZATIONS – Most colleges and universities are seeking leaders from within their applicant pool, and you can make your application stand out by having one or two leadership positions over the course of your high school career. Being a leader in one or two organizations means much, much more than simply being a member in 10 clubs and organizations. Not only does leadership show a certain level of maturity and character, but colleges also have an eye to all their student organizations and their need to recruit future leaders. You don't need to be the president of an organization, but you should be an officer of at least one group by the time you're a senior.
5) INSIGHTFUL AND WELL-WRITTEN ESSAY(S) – Of all the 5 items on this list, the essay either gets the most attention or the least respect – depending on who you ask. Like some of the other 5 elements on this list, not all colleges require an essay as part of the admissions application. The essay (or essays) are a tool used by some universities to learn more about you and why you want to attend their school. Definitely take the time to carefully consider the questions and write, edit, rewrite, and proofread your essays – with an eye to what the essays reveal about you and your personality. Some admissions counselors admit that an amazing essay can push a marginal applicant into the accepted student group.
McKenzie most college admissions officers are looking for students who demonstrate genuine interest in attending their schools. Show that you want to be a part of a school's student body by applying for early admission and taking part in campus visits. Interviewing with admissions officers could also be especially helpful.
Good Luck Mckenzie
It’s easy to think that choosing a college is something you do only in your senior year of high school, but here are some important steps to take to help you make the best college decision when twelfth grade finally rolls around. From taking the right classes, to earning good grades, to making the most of your time outside of school, to scoping out the different kinds of colleges that are out there.
1) HIGH GRADE POINT AVERAGE – It goes without question that grades are an extremely important element of your college application. Colleges will ask you to submit official transcripts from your high school and possibly recalculate your grade point average based on some internal system they use for weighting different types of courses. Your goal, from the first year of high school forward, is to achieve the best grades you can. If you had a rough freshman year, but have since rebounded with much stronger grades, fear not, because colleges certainly look for trends in academic achievement – and a record of constant improvement when your GPA is not as strong as you would like is a good sign to most admissions counselors about your growth and potential.
2) CHALLENGING COLLEGE PREP COURSES – Your challenge is not just to get the best grades you can – but to get the best grades you can in the most academically challenging courses as you can. You certainly do not need to enroll in an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at your high school, but where you have the strengths, skills, and aptitude, you should at least strive for Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Most colleges will place greater weight on these "tougher" courses – and even go so far as to rate a B in an advanced class (IB, Honors, AP) on a higher scale than an A in a comparable mainstream class.
3) QUALITY RECOMMENDATION LETTERS FROM YOUR TEACHERS – The recommendation letters that you ask your teachers and your guidance counselor to write can play a key role in your college application. Ideally, you have a few favorite teachers – teachers who not only know the quality of your work and academic acumen, but also can talk about some of your personal qualities. It's best to ask your teachers for letters as early as you can so that they have the time to write a quality letter; obviously the most popular teachers will need even more time if they have requests from many of their students.
4) LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN A FEW ORGANIZATIONS – Most colleges and universities are seeking leaders from within their applicant pool, and you can make your application stand out by having one or two leadership positions over the course of your high school career. Being a leader in one or two organizations means much, much more than simply being a member in 10 clubs and organizations. Not only does leadership show a certain level of maturity and character, but colleges also have an eye to all their student organizations and their need to recruit future leaders. You don't need to be the president of an organization, but you should be an officer of at least one group by the time you're a senior.
5) INSIGHTFUL AND WELL-WRITTEN ESSAY(S) – Of all the 5 items on this list, the essay either gets the most attention or the least respect – depending on who you ask. Like some of the other 5 elements on this list, not all colleges require an essay as part of the admissions application. The essay (or essays) are a tool used by some universities to learn more about you and why you want to attend their school. Definitely take the time to carefully consider the questions and write, edit, rewrite, and proofread your essays – with an eye to what the essays reveal about you and your personality. Some admissions counselors admit that an amazing essay can push a marginal applicant into the accepted student group.
McKenzie most college admissions officers are looking for students who demonstrate genuine interest in attending their schools. Show that you want to be a part of a school's student body by applying for early admission and taking part in campus visits. Interviewing with admissions officers could also be especially helpful.
Good Luck Mckenzie
Tasneem, Our problem is that we make the mistake of comparing ourselves to other people. You are not inferior or superior to any human being...You do not determine your success by comparing yourself to others, rather you determine your success by comparing your accomplishments to your capabilities. You are 'number one' when you do the best you can with what you have.
Doc Frick
Michael Lee
Sports Media Librarian Sports Streaming
19
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi,
Good recommendations on your college application can help a lot.
Also, having extra curricular activities helps. It shows you are well rounded and are involved in school beyond classes or sports. Those are things that make you stand out from other students.
Good luck!
Good recommendations on your college application can help a lot.
Also, having extra curricular activities helps. It shows you are well rounded and are involved in school beyond classes or sports. Those are things that make you stand out from other students.
Good luck!
Judi McEachin
Product Management
24
Answers
Midlothian, Virginia
Updated
Judi’s Answer
If you have scores that just meet their requirements but do not excel, then you need to have strong recommendations and extracurricular activities supporting the concentration for which you are applying. Another idea is to apply for a related but less popular school in the same university with the intention of transferring into your target school in your 2nd year.
Scott Bonnell
Sales Leadership
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Scott’s Answer
Its important to find a college that is the right fit for you. Take some time to think about the things you enjoy doing and whether or not those activities are available at the schools you are considering. For example, if you are someone who enjoys small interactive classes, perhaps you should consider a smaller college.