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3 Forgotten Steps in Planning for & Applying to College: Focus Early on Overlooked Strategies

Posted on Oct 03, 2011 - 09:00 AM | Applying to College | Comments (0)

We all know the family that started saving for college when their student was in pre-K. They made sure he took the right AP courses and thought nothing but college, college, college.
                                                    
And then they found out they forgot a few of the other important steps to getting into the college of his choice. The family has the money and he has the grades, but college admissions officers think his student applicant is still unpolished.
 
3 Ways to Improve Your College Admissions Experience
 
  1. Improve Your College Resume. Your college resume and application may have good grades and SAT scores, but does it have everything it needs to impress a college admission dean? Make sure it captures your entire high-school career. Give them more to consider, not less.
  2. Write an Original Application Essay. Everyone knows you shouldn’t plagiarize, but how original is your essay? Does it showcase you? Admissions officers read hundreds of essays. Yours needs to stand out.
  3. Get a Financial Aid Analysis. Investing in a good 529 or other college savings plan isn’t the same as knowing how much a college will cost you or how much financial aid you can expect. College-cost calculators have proliferated online, but they have their limitations. Know what makes one better than another.
 
Take Advantage of Early College Prep
 
Students find they can best achieve the above steps by preparing for college as early as 8th or 9th grade. Tradition may mean preparing for college come junior year, but if your parents have been saving since you were young, why start the other steps so late?
 
Start building your resume freshman year. View sample college resumes so you know what to include, Take the classes and activities you love, just remember to include the ones on your resume that will impresses college admissions officers.
 
Find tips for improve your application essay, especially those designed to ensure your essay showcases your unique qualities.
 
Get accurate college-cost estimates. This is a vital step when selecting those colleges you've been preparing for all these years.
 
Planning early allows financial aid to follow. So does a good resume, an original essay, and a student a college wants to enroll. College admissions isn’t just about good grades and SAT scores; sometimes it’s about the packaging. Savings and schoolwork are absolutely necessary, but don’t let little details pass you by.
 
RSC: Your College Prep Expert will guide your college planning so that you don’t forget any of those little steps. 

 
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