| 1. Take a rigorous academic course load. The variety
and difficulty of your courses in high school does matter; don't take
courses that simply raise your GPA. Challenge yourself by taking advanced
placement (AP) or honers courses. |
2. Ace the entrance exams. Familiarize yourself with
the test by taking sample verisons beforehand. Read the directions and
test questions carefully and pace yourself so you have time to review your
work. |
| 3. Develop your ideal college profile. Find matches
with the help of your guidance counselor and FastWeb's college search:
http://www.fastweb.com. |
4. Submit applications as early as possible. If you
are not applying early-decision, many colleges require applications to be
in by early January. Online applications are a great alterative for
submittingg your forms more quickly. |
| 5. Craft excellent application essays. Brainstorm for
an original topic. Be clear, concise and well-organized in your writing
and check for grammar and spelling. |
6. Do volunteer and community service work. Volunteer
for activities that matter to you and reflect your personality.
volunteering looks great on an application and adds to your quality of
life. |
| 7. Fill out the admissions application accurately and
well. Approach each application as if it were the only one that
you're filling out. Read the directions carefully and follow them
precisely. |
8. Finish high school academically strong. Because
your junior and senior year courses are more comparable to college
courses, some schools give more weight to the grades you earn in those
years. |
| 9. Follow up on your applications. Don't be afraid to
check on your application. With thousands of applications being processed,
mistakes do occasionally happen. |
10. Dazzle them at your college interview. Practice
with friends and formulate a few questions to ask. Dress for the occasion.
After the interview, follow up with a thank-you note to the
interviewer(s). You may want to ask for business card at the end of the
interview. |
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