Find the Best Online Universities

October 10th, 2005

Colleges only have so many open spots for freshman each year and it’s getting harder and harder for students to make sure they are able to fill one of them. When it comes to college applications, there really isn’t much you can do to guarantee your spot. But don’t be too discouraged. You can better your odds by making sure your application has just what the admissions department is looking for.

Students can either positively or negatively affect a school’s reputation, so colleges want to accept those they know will be positive influences. The admissions department will take a careful look at your academic performance in order to predict what type of college student you might be. This means looking at your academic record for all four years of high school and taking into consideration your individual class grades, GPA, and SAT and ACT scores. It is important that you are able to demonstrate that you were able to consistently make good grades or that you have the ability to improve them. If you made a few bad grades during your sophomore year but have been able to steadily make better ones since then, admissions officers are likely to notice your efforts.

Colleges also want well-rounded students who will not only contribute to their school academically, but socially as well. They will look at your involvement in extracurricular activities and consider how they have allowed you to develop your skills and talents. Students who have invested their time and efforts and demonstrated commitment to organizations will look a lot better than those who spent their free time watching TV. After school activities also allow you to have the opportunity to accomplish things that set you apart from other applicants, like earning special recognitions or awards.

Finally, more significant than being able to show that you were involved in extracurricular activities is proving that you were able to make significant contributions through leadership roles. Students who held leadership roles in high school are more likely to pursue those same roles in college and contribute on campus. Admissions departments not only want to see that you held a title, but that you also were able to accomplish something with that title. To stand out from students whose only title was “member,” be sure to mention that you were the president of a new club or served as class officer senior year.

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