Seven Magical Tips for Getting Into Your Top Choice College

Eager to escape high school and head to college for a real educational experience? Already looking forward to the classes you'll take and the professors you'll meet? Excited about the new friends you'll make and all the fun you'll have? Well, if you're like many students, all of these fantasies of the perfect college experience take place at your "Dream School"---the school you, and probably your parents, think is perfect for you. But keep this in mind: while getting into a college isn't difficult (most of the nearly 3,, 000 colleges and universities in the United States have a 75% or higher acceptance rate), landing into your top choice school is often infinitely harder. That's why you must begin preparing the makings of your college application in 8th or 9th grade. Here are the Seven Magical Tips for making yourself irresistible to virtually any admissions officer on the planet:

1.Take a challenging course load---and do well: This is a given. Admissions officers want proof that you're academically advanced enough to take advantage of the resources at their school. Take AP and Honors classes in subjects that interest you, and avoid "easy A" electives like Physics for Poets or the History of Basket Weaving. Also be sure to take four core classes every year: one English, one math, one history, and one science---minimum! If offered at your school, seriously consider taking the same foreign language all four years of high school. Just don't overwhelm yourself---you want to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA for highly competitive colleges and 3.0 for less competitive colleges.