What Does It Take To Get Into A Good College?

The process of applying to colleges can be stressful and honestly a bit confusing. Where do I apply? What are my chances? What do I do to make sure I get into a good college?

Well, let’s take a second to understand something – how does one define a “good” college? There is no set answer to this question. The definition of a good college varies by the applicant himself. In a previous blog we have discussed the decision process and the aspects of a school to consider before deciding to attend. A good college for one student may be an Ivy League, while for another, it may be a small public university. This definition shouldn’t necessarily affect how one prepares for the application process.

There are several aspects of a student’s time in high school that affects his admission into college – standardized test scores, grades, extracurricular activities, leadership, recommendation letters, etc. Admissions offices are looking to admit well-rounded students, so it’s important to give some weight to each part of that application. So, how does one ensure getting into that “good” college that’s perfect for him or her?

1. Start early.

• Don’t wait until the senior year of high school to begin developing an application for college. It’s important to gain an understanding of what you intend to look for in a college early on in your high school years. This helps create a more in depth application. Determine whether you’ll be staying in-state or going out of state. Begin taking part in community service, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and more. Additionally, it’s important to maintain a good GPA throughout the four years and start preparing for the SAT or ACT early on. Visit our website at victorysteponline.com to see how we can assist with this portion of your application.

2. Get advice/help

• High schools offer the assistance of guidance counselors and academic advisors for a reason – make use of them. These resources can often point you in the right direction or help you make a decision. Additionally, these sources are always great when looking to apply to scholarships and grants. Getting advice simply from an older friend, a family member, or even a sibling, can prove to be of great help in this process; so don’t try to get through it alone.

3. Create a schedule

• Websites like College Board offer students the ability to view a timeline to help them create a plan of what to accomplish during each year of high school. Personalize this plan and set short and long-term goals. When will you take the SAT? When will you retake the SAT if necessary? When will you submit applications? What will your plans be for the summer?

4. Study for school.

• This is pretty self-explanatory. Often students think it’s okay to slack off the first year or two of high school and worry about the GPA later. Don’t forget that your GPA is cumulative and it’s usually quite difficult to recover from a big dip in the numbers. Try to stay consistent with studying and be aware of your ideal school’s GPA averages.

5. Study for SAT/ACT

• Once again, this is also self-explanatory. The SAT and/or ACT are not tests that you can simply take without preparing. Students often find that one works better for them than the other, or find that entirely changing their study strategy is the best course of action. These conclusions take TIME – be sure to give yourself some flexibility in timing. Don’t waste winter breaks and summer breaks – this is the perfect time to study for these exams without the stress of academics and school obligations.

6. Spend some time NOT studying.

• What’s that you say? Do things in high school other than studying? Of course! High school is a time to enjoy yourself and spend time gaining a better understanding of what you may want from your four years in college. Colleges take into consideration things other than the numbers and it’s important to spend some time developing that aspect of the application.

So, at the end of the day, it’s not the person that determines whether or not he gets into his ideal college. It’s about what that person does to seek and make use of opportunities and develop a well-rounded application.