9+ Things You Should Do Right Now To Make Your College Applications Stronger
Some things on this list may seem pretty obvious, but hey—you never know! I also went ahead and covered a couple of bases, namely recommendations for the actual app and all the stuff you gotta do IRL to actually put on that thing. Have a tip I left out? Please share!
- Show the school love:
- Tour the campus.
- Friend the university on Facebook.
- Meet with admissions officers.
- Follow up with questions.
- Get to know the professors with whom you want to study. Ask to sit in on their classes!
- If the college/university offers them…enroll in a summer course for high school students.
- Optional essays? Write them! Elaborate whenever possible.
- Research the school thoroughly and then talk—in your essay—about how much you like what you discovered.
- Include supplemental materials that demonstrate your hobbies and passions.
- Link to videos of performances, music clips, photography portfolios, or personal (and appropriate for viewing by a college admissions board) websites and blogs.
- If possible, include newspaper clippings about your involvement in the community or your participation in a local (or national!) competitions.
- Make sure the college accepts these supplemental materials!
- Show the admissions team that you engage with and contribute to your community beyond the classroom.
- Volunteer! Possible organizations to join: the Red Cross, Boy/Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, local tutoring organizations—check out Volunteer Match to see what’s available in your area!
- Participate in competitions within your particular area of interest, both academic, creative, and athletic.
- Volunteer to work in your school’s front office.
- Take part in a school fundraiser.
- Demonstrate a deep commitment to and genuine appreciation for what you spend your time doing by starting your own club/organization/group.
- Make sure your letters of rec are not just run-of-the-mill rave reviews. They need to be very specific in terms of description of your talent and ability. If it’s possible for someone to write a letter for you who has known you a shorter amount of time than other teachers, but who was your supervisor on a project that connects with your intended area of study—go with the latter.
- Study hard. Prepare for SAT and ACT exams and retake them if you don’t do well on your first try.
- Get a part-time job. Not only does this look good on a college app, it will allow you to put away money for books and tuition.