Well, you have reached a milestone. It’s time to start thinking about applying to colleges, but how do you begin to decide where to go?
The first thing to consider is finding a college that is a good academic fit for what you want to study. Is Accounting your thing? If it is, don’t look at liberal arts colleges. It’s not that you can’t get an accounting degree at a liberal arts college, but your classes may be more fitting for a finance major, not an Accountant. Liberal arts colleges usually focus on a broader method of intellectual development through classes like history, philosophy and literature. If you know what you what to study, find a school that offers a wide variety of courses of study in that field and advanced degrees.
Once you narrow down your choices, look not only at how much it will cost to attend that college, look at how long it typically takes to obtain a degree there and the average salary of the alumni working in your chosen field. Does the school offer career services at graduation? What financial aid or scholarships are available? Does this school offer internships, research opportunities or other hands-on learning techniques that will enhance your educational experience?
And what about housing? Will you be in a dorm for four years, or is off campus housing an option?
Campus culture is another thing to consider. What does the college value in terms of behaviors and beliefs? Are there traditions or customs that you can accept? How do the students interact with each other? What are the social norms of the environment—what is considered to be acceptable or unacceptable behavior? Are there clubs or teams that you can join? How is the campus structured? Is it easy to move from class to class? Overall, how does the college approach teaching and learning?
Do you want to attend a large school with multiple locations and auditorium like class sizes or is a smaller, more intimate environment better for your learning? Do you want the campus to be in the city or are you more of a rural type?
Before you decide on a college, you have to prioritize what is most important to you in your educational journey and determine which school is the best match to those priorities. But, before you start to pack, understand that while you may want to attend one specific college or university, you have to be accepted by the school. Realize, before schools offer financial aid and commit to funds for your education, they want to ensure that they are recruiting the best and the brightest students. It is estimated that over 22 million students per year will apply to the 6,000 colleges and universities in the United States.
Apply to more than one school to increase your chances of acceptance. In response to a recent Department of Education study, Texas A&M receives approximately 59,000 freshman applications per year, while Duke receives 37,000 and only accepts 8.3% of those.
Admission requirements are pretty standard across colleges and universities. There will be a review of your standardized test scores and your GPA. Personal essays can be the deciding factor between two or three freshman applications with similar scores and averages, so you have to write a strong essay. Explain what you bring to the college and how your career aspirations will reflect well on their organization. What special qualities or experiences do you have that will stand out? You need to be able to showcase any internships, jobs, leadership roles or volunteer experience you have.
Community service is an excellent way to demonstrate your commitment to others and your willingness to step up and help.
Do extra homework on the places to which you are applying. Show an interest in the college/university and its community. If the school is noted for something, mention that thing in your essay and include why you think it’s positive.
Be able to show what Admissions Committees call “course rigor.” They are first looking for the degree of difficulty in the courses you took. Were they challenging? Did they exhibit a level of complexity in materials and expectations for the student’s performance and workload. What level of understanding was required? Did you have to apply critical thinking and apply knowledge and mastery of the subject at a deep level? They need to know that you have challenged yourself and demonstrated the ability to handle what higher education will bring.
Admissions Committees will immediately eliminate an essay that is poorly written and unpolished. Stay off of or inspect your social media accounts, your online presence may put things about you in a lesser than good light or that aren’t appropriate for an Admission Committee review.
There is nothing like the thrill of getting that acceptance letter from the college of your choice.
Be positive, be excited and be prepared. Your college years will serve you well for a long, long time.
