There are some issues you are able to do to strengthen your software, however there isn’t any magic bullet—once more, there are just too many Customary Sturdy candidates—which implies that along with attempting to strengthen issues like your private assertion and supplemental essays, you should additionally discover widening your faculty checklist.
Consider it this fashion (fast anecdote incoming):
We labored with a pupil as soon as who needed to use solely to Stanford. Sure, significantly.
He stated (fairly direct quote), “I really feel like it will be a slap within the face to all my exhausting work if I utilized and attended elsewhere.”
We identified (gently however firmly) that the slap within the face to all his exhausting work can be to not attend faculty in any respect as a result of he utilized solely to a school with one thing like a 3% acceptance charge.
So, when you’re probably within the Customary Sturdy bucket, listed here are some actions to take:
Respect the competitors
You deserve plenty of credit score for working exhausting and doing nicely in highschool however understand that you’re in good firm. The competitors isn’t simply out of your highschool, state, area… It is from all world wide. Your achievement places you within the operating however ensures nothing.
Key Takeaway: Don’t overestimate your possibilities of admission to a extremely selective faculty as a result of you’ve gotten terrific grades, scores, and actions.
Don’t set your self up for disappointment
It’s pure to be drawn to well-known faculties that really feel like they immediately grant admitted college students a dose of celeb and status. As you begin your faculty search in earnest and plan campus visits, don’t make the error of solely visiting faculties that admit a tiny proportion of their candidates.
Key Takeaway: For each extremely selective faculty you go to, spend a while on a close-by campus that provides what you might be in search of and would like to admit you.
Don’t devalue faculties which are much less selective
Focus your search on how a university will present the alternatives you need—and can enable you achieve success and attain your objectives. That is probably not probably the most selective faculty on the planet; it could really be the place you generally is a star.
(For extra on training high quality vs “status” head right here.)
Key Takeaway: Selectivity doesn’t equate with high quality of training.
Perceive every faculty’s particular person preferences and priorities
Learn a university’s historical past, mission assertion, and strategic plan on their web site. Search for how they describe their id and objective. What phrases/adjectives do they use? Are you a match or are you simply one other generic applicant?
Key Takeaway: It’s as much as you to make it clear in your software the way you perceive and align with their values and objective.
Don’t add much less selective faculties to your checklist as an afterthought
Certain, have just a few dream colleges in your checklist—the well-known ones with single digit acceptance charges in the event that they attraction to you. However don’t hyper deal with these and relegate extra probably choices to later within the 12 months when you’ve acquired your early software information. At that time, it is too late to essentially get to know what a university may give you and put together a compelling software.
(For extra on construct a balanced faculty checklist, head right here.)
Key Takeaway: Final minute functions usually come throughout as final minute functions.