If you plan to go into higher education, then you are likely well aware of not only have competitive the college application process can be but also how demanding that period of transition can be, as well. If you’re performing well, academically, that is a major help, but it’s not the only way you should be preparing. Here, we’re going to look at a few tips that can help give you an extra edge, while also making that transition easier.
Focus on your extracurriculars
While your SATs, ACTs, and other academic test scores do carry a lot of weight in your application, it’s important to remember that it is far from the only thing. Aside from creative, artistic, and athletic extracurricular involvement at your school, you should look for things like volunteering opportunities outside of school, as well. Being able to display values and virtues beyond the school can help showcase even more reasons for colleges to consider you.
Work on your recommendation
Securing a stellar college recommendation letter, as shown at https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/, boils down to fostering meaningful connections with professors or mentors who can vouch for your academic abilities and character. First, engage actively in class discussions and coursework to stand out positively.
Develop relationships with instructors by seeking their guidance and participating in extracurricular activities they oversee. When requesting a recommendation, provide them with pertinent details about your achievements, goals, and aspirations to help them craft a personalized letter. Ensure to ask politely and well in advance, respecting their time constraints. Lastly, express gratitude for their support regardless of the outcome.
Ensure the funding you need
Your ability to attend college comes down to more than just whether or not you get accepted by them. There’s a real financial element to consider, as well. You should take plenty of time to research all of your options for getting help with funding your higher education.
Aside from bursaries and grants, which tend to have limited spots, sites like https://www.hescloans.com/ can help you find direct funding in the form of loans, as well. Making your education more affordable can open up a lot more options, just make sure that you are structuring a path to pay back your loan as soon as you get accepted for it.
Consider taking some time
When you’re preparing for college as a senior, it can feel like there is a real sense of urgency, with all of the deadlines ever pushing you on to the next step. However, if you don’t feel ready for college just yet, switching to focus on your current education alone and taking a gap year can offer a lot of freedom.
Gap years also offer a great opportunity to be able to showcase your work ethic and to build the independence that might make your future move out to college a lot easier to handle. There are significant college admission benefits to a gap year, as well, but you might want to make sure that you maintain some level of learning to keep your academic momentum up.
Moving into college is a big step, and it’s not one that should be done without the right preparation. Hopefully, the points above show there’s more to it than academics alone.
