Get Into College
Your admissions journey will be unique and filled with events that you find personally meaningful, exciting, and rewarding.Although your journey won't be exactly like that of anyone else, there are certain things that admissions committees will expect nearly all competitive college applicants to have done.These are some of the main things you will be expected to have done:Acceptance Rate
College acceptance rates (like the ones you'll find in the Admission Statistics section of College Admissions 100) paint a picture of how hard it is to get into any given college.The hardest colleges to get into can have acceptance rates as low as 7% (which is true of Harvard). Easier colleges to get into can admit up to 50% of applicants, or more.Why Are Some Colleges Harder to Get Into?
Let's face it - lots of applicants dream of going to Ivy League colleges. These colleges get lots of applicants and will typically have to reject many of them. Colleges with lots of applicants have a lot of power in the application process, and can expect their applicants to meet very high standards.If you want to get into a hard college, you are like countless other applicants and you will probably need to work extra hard to get in.Getting Into a Hard College
Getting into a hard college is never easy! Many admissions counsellors (including those who have designed My Admissions Course) advise that you prepare a list with a nice mix of hard colleges and not-so-hard colleges. That way, if you are unlucky with the hard ones, you will still be able to reap all the benefits of a college education.It's not the end of the world if you don't get into one of the hard colleges. Far from it. Many college graduates notice that having gone to a hard college makes little difference to the way their career life unfolds in the long term (although this is not always true).What often matters more is what kind of effort you make while you are in college, as well as your commitment to non-academic activities and jobs.What If I'm Not An "A" Student?
You shouldn't think that you need to get all A's in order to get into college and have a fulfilling experience while you're there.Getting A's is important if you want to attend certain highly competitive colleges. But maybe you've decided that you wouldn't be happy at such colleges, anyway. If you don't thrive in highly competitive and pressurized environments (maybe they stress you out, leaving you feeling anxious in an unproductive way) then you should know that you have many other options.Colleges for B Students
There are many reputable 4-year colleges with less competitive academic environments. A good place to look if you're in the market for such a college is the US News & World Report's A+ Options for B Students listing.The listing includes colleges ranging from those you've heard of to those whose names might be new to you. You've probably heard of Syracuse (acceptance rate 60%) and Pepperdine (acceptance rate 41%), and Auburn (acceptance rate 80%).These universities are reputable and attract faculty who are highly respected teachers and scholars. As you might have heard, sometimes the quality of teaching can be just as good (if not better) at colleges that are less pressurized environments.The Whole Package
If you want to apply to college with a less-than-perfect academic record, it is still important to put together an application that brings out all your other non-academic strengths - such as extracurricular activities you are particularly strong in.This is especially important if you are not an A student and you plan to apply to a few dream schools (schools that are highly competitive). It is a well known fact that applicants who are exceptional in other areas of their applicants sometimes gain admission in spite flawed academic performance.Every college applicant wants the inside tips on succeeding in the college admissions process. Here are some rules of thumb that you cannot afford to ignore if you want to maximize your chances.Tip 1: Start Early
The earlier the better. If you can start thinking about college as early as freshman year, you'll have a huge advantage in the admissions process. The reason is that you need to do a lot of planning relating to your academics and extracurriculars, and it's hard to do it all at the last minute.It's still possible to succeed if you start in the 10th or 11th grade, but you're making it harder for yourself this way. The first step is to meet with your high school counselor to discuss your college plans, as well as to do some research on your own - through a book or online course.Tip 2: Develop Your Character
Colleges want to admit mature individuals with lots of interesting experiences to offer the college community. Most of us are not exceptionally strong applicants before we make an effort to become them. You can develop your character by engaging in meaningful activities, trying to discover what really matters to you, and making a mature contribution to the community.Tip 3: Present a Meticulous Application
In many aspects of life, it's possible to get away with making the odd mistake here or there. On your college application, you have just one chance to impress admissions committees. Your application will suffer if it contains any factual or grammatical errors. Take the time to read your application multiple times, and have others proofread it, too.Is the ACT Better than the SAT for Getting Into College?
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