Students face great difficulty while getting into their dream college. It gives them immense stress and anxiety. The processes are the same whether you’re applying to a tiny private institution or a huge public university—stick to deliberate planning and get a head start. We’ve put together a list of our top six ideas to help you get into your dream school abroad.
Don’t put off planning for college until your senior year
College planning definitely means early planning. If you are planning for MBA in the USA or some other degree in any country you have to work hard to make it. Most universities will look at your academic record starting in ninth grade, and many will take into account high school courses done in middle school. Getting a head start on college planning as early as freshman year provides you with more opportunities to enhance your grades and increase the rigor of your courses. You’ll also want to consider how you and your family will pay for college: Will you submit a financial aid application? Will you apply to institutions with big scholarship opportunities? Beginning early allows you and your family to talk about this crucial, yet often forgotten, aspect of college applications. When you begin planning early, you give yourself time to visit several college campuses. To assist you to identify your greatest college fit, try to schedule college visits during school vacations to maximize the number of colleges you’ll see. Finally, starting college preparation early will help you avoid unnecessary stress throughout your final year. Most of our seniors finish all of their applications well before new year’s eve, so they can relax and enjoy their time off without having to worry about filling out paperwork!
Do take Your SAT and ACT with utmost sincerity
Prepare well for your SAT and ACT as it is a crucial step that helps you get into college. A good score in the exam means you might as well get a scholarship. While a good grade cannot make up for years of poor performance, research shows that it is an excellent predictor of college academic preparation. So, keep your grades up and study for the SAT and/or ACT!
Start rehearsing for your college interviews
Personal interviews are not available at every college, but preparation is essential for those that do. Begin by reviewing a list of common interview questions, such as why you want to attend that college, what you will contribute to the community, and what you plan to study (and why). Prepare to answer more “out of the ordinary” questions, such as what you’ve recently read, what you know about current events, where you picture yourself in ten years, and so on. Prepare yourself to think outside of the box! Do your homework. Spend time on the college’s website in the weeks leading up to your interview, looking beyond admissions and into the college’s academic and extracurricular programs. Attend a live or online information session. Take a virtual or in-person tour.
Have a Plan to Pay for College
College funding is critical, yet it is frequently disregarded. On their applications or financial aid websites, most institutions feature a net price calculator, which allows you to enter your family’s income and receive an estimate of how much your family is expected to spend. You and your family must fill out the FAFSA (available online October 1) and, in some cases, the CSS Profile in order to obtain grants, loans, and other forms of financial aid (only for certain colleges). In addition to the FAFSA, some universities have their own financial assistance applications. Private scholarship applications can be found on websites such as goingmerry.com and fastweb.com. The most substantial merit-based scholarships, on the other hand, are usually awarded by universities themselves, and often without the need for a separate application. College can be costly if you don’t have a financial plan in place.
Try to seek out Recommendation Letters from Teachers and Counselors
A counsellor and 1-2 professors’ letters of recommendation are required by most private universities and many public colleges. Before the end of junior year, request a letter of reference from your key academic teachers, ideally in person, and follow up with an email thanking him or her and describing elements of the academic class where you feel you learned and progressed. Consider developing a positive relationship with 1-2 of your teachers if you’re a rising junior. Set yourself apart in your forthcoming math and science classes if you want to study science in college. This is more than just achieving good grades: participate in the classroom, peer tutor struggling classmates, and show your interest in assignments and projects. Your letter of reference will be stronger if you are more engaged and interested in class. The greatest recommendation letters are anecdotal, in the sense that they give particular examples of your involvement both within and outside of the classroom. One of your recommenders should also be a teacher in a field related to your desired major.
Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities
Outside of the classroom, engagement is vital; colleges seek for it in applications. You are not required to participate in every club offered by your school; in fact, universities prefer students who have a depth and concentration in their extracurricular activities rather than those who participate in every accessible group. Almost all high school groups, as well as many community activities, are open to all teenagers, so this is a terrific and early opportunity to help you get into college. Debate and Model United Nations clubs are great ways to show off your academic interests and abilities. The dedication and/or talents of a sports team or a theatre group will be highlighted. You can interact and grow as a leader through student government, the yearbook, and the school newspaper. Playing a musical instrument, writing poetry, honing your baking abilities, babysitting, and committing to an interesting hobby are all things you can do without joining an organized group or team. Allow your imagination to run wild! A job or internship is another option to obtain valuable skills that will help you stand out in your college application and résumé. Make an effort to choose some hobbies that are related to your selected major. When applying to college, many institutions want you to upload your résumé, and a dazzling activities résumé that displays your depth of dedication to a few activities will undoubtedly help you get into college!
Conclusion
Getting into college does take time and proper planning, so It’s advisable that you don’t wait until your senior year. Start with your preparations as soon as you realize your dreams. Work hard and your hard work will pay you with success. Use these above-mentioned 6 tips to get into college and turn your dream school into a reality.
Author Bio
Author Bio: Abhyank Srinet is a passionate digital entrepreneur who holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe. He started his first company while he was still studying at ESCP, and managed to scale it up by 400% in just 2 years.
Being a B-School Alumni, he recognized the need for a one-stop solution for B-School to get in touch with schools and get their application queries resolved. This prompted him to create MiM-Essay, a one-of-a-kind portal with cutting-edge profile evaluation and school selection algorithms, along with several avenues to stay informed about the latest B-School Updates.
