Six Simple Ways to Give Your Student a College Admissions "Edge"
This year's high school graduating class is the largest in U.S. history. That means winning a coveted slot at the college of one's choice is now more competitive than ever.
If you're the parent of a high school sophomore, junior, or senior, you're no doubt doing all the right things to help your student succeed: SAT/ACT prep? Check. Math, Spanish, or Physics tutor? Check. AP classes? You bet. Then there's the community service, after school activities, part-time job, etc.
So what additional steps can you and your student take to give him or her that all important college admissions edge? Plenty. Here are some simple ways to start:
1. Commit early. Your daughter visits a school and realizes it's THE perfect place for her. She gets a warm, homey feeling walking across the quad, it offers a double major in the subjects she's most passionate about, and she can visualize herself taking her place among the other students. Because schools' selectivity rankings are based on what percentage of accepted students actually enroll, it's to your child's benefit to let the school know that if accepted, she'll most definitely attend. Consider applying early action (non-binding) or early decision (binding). Kids who apply early do get preferential treatment; they enjoy a much higher acceptance rate than those in the general application pool, so it's a definite edge, if your child has a clear-cut first choice school.
2. Ace the interview. While most schools say that prospective student interviews aren't necessary (or even encouraged, in the case of larger institutions), if your son has his heart set on attending a particular school, it will be to his benefit if he connects with someone in power at the school—specifically an admissions counselor and/or a dean. Have the student call or e-mail the dean of the school he's interested in and ask for a personal interview. Try to schedule an interview with an admissions rep for the same day.
If you're the parent of a high school sophomore, junior, or senior, you're no doubt doing all the right things to help your student succeed: SAT/ACT prep? Check. Math, Spanish, or Physics tutor? Check. AP classes? You bet. Then there's the community service, after school activities, part-time job, etc.
So what additional steps can you and your student take to give him or her that all important college admissions edge? Plenty. Here are some simple ways to start:
1. Commit early. Your daughter visits a school and realizes it's THE perfect place for her. She gets a warm, homey feeling walking across the quad, it offers a double major in the subjects she's most passionate about, and she can visualize herself taking her place among the other students. Because schools' selectivity rankings are based on what percentage of accepted students actually enroll, it's to your child's benefit to let the school know that if accepted, she'll most definitely attend. Consider applying early action (non-binding) or early decision (binding). Kids who apply early do get preferential treatment; they enjoy a much higher acceptance rate than those in the general application pool, so it's a definite edge, if your child has a clear-cut first choice school.
2. Ace the interview. While most schools say that prospective student interviews aren't necessary (or even encouraged, in the case of larger institutions), if your son has his heart set on attending a particular school, it will be to his benefit if he connects with someone in power at the school—specifically an admissions counselor and/or a dean. Have the student call or e-mail the dean of the school he's interested in and ask for a personal interview. Try to schedule an interview with an admissions rep for the same day.
Even though schools say that student interviews aren't necessary if your son has his heart set on attending a particular school, it will be to his benefit if he connects with someone in power at the school.
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