YOUR ALMA MATA FOR LIFE – CHOOSE WISELY

As a College Graduate, your Alma Mater will symbolize many things: four years of growth and development; many fond memories; a source of pride and perhaps most importantly, the educational foundation upon which you will build the rest of your life.  The quality of your education will most likely have a significant influence on your success in life.  It is therefore essential that you take great care in choosing and applying to potential colleges and universities.

There are more than 3,200 accredited institutions of higher education in the United States.  How will you go from a high school student to a college freshman at only ONE of them?

The answer is by following the steps of a sequential process to narrow your choices and gain admission.

You must first dedicate the time necessary to research and find the schools that offer what you want and need.  You must then develop a successful application package based on the qualifications that schools are seeking in their students.  Finally, you must visit the schools to determine which ones are the best fit for your needs.

Keep these two strategies in mind during your college search and selection process:

1. Shop for exactly what you are looking for in a college. You will likely spend four to five years there so you want to find the “perfect” match.
2. Keep your college selection options open. Do not begin with prejudices in mind about any type of school, not even the most expensive private schools!

FOLLOW THESE THREE STEPS

The college search and selection process is best divided into the following three specific steps:

1. Compile your original list of colleges that interest you based on specific criteria including:

• Majors offered
• Size – College enrollments vary from a few hundred upwards of 20,000
• Location – Do you want to be close to home or far away?
• Type of Campus – city based or secluded, suburban based
• Campus Life – What types of clubs and extra-curricular activities are offered?

Your original list of schools should include 20 to 30 potential schools that meet most (or all) of your general selection criteria.

2. Narrow your list of possible colleges to between eight and 10 by doing further research into the original list of institutions you selected. Some questions to ask:

• What is the school’s reputation for social life?
• What is your job placement potential? How strong is the alumni network?
• What is the housing situation? Are their dorms, suites, apartments on campus? Do they guarantee four years of housing?

At this point you will be able to eliminate institutions from your original list based on more specific criteria.

3. Finally, cut your list to six (6) finalists. You will be able to do more extensive research on this smaller list of finalists. Your final six colleges are the ones to which you will actually apply for admission. Important Tip – You should go and visit the campuses of all six of your finalists to determine if their environments are suitable to your particular needs. You will then be able to arrange your six finalists in order of preference. You should have:

• Four top choices listed in order
• A safety school (where you are practically guaranteed admission)
• A long shot school (an institution where your qualifications may secure you enrollment, but you are not sure).

NOW LET’S GET YOU ADMITTED

Your admission application is your chance to shine.  Admission officers are looking for qualified students to fill their campuses; it is your job to show the admission officers that you are one of those qualified students.  Only you can show them all of the great things that you have to offer their institution.

Remember that your application is just one in a stack of many.  The quality and thoroughness of your application will either make it stand out or blend in with the crowd.

Your college admission applications should be a detailed account of your four years of high school.  Your high school achievements should be accurately portrayed in your admission applications.

Admission applications commonly contain the following:

1. Unofficial high school transcript (includes courses taken and grades received).
2. SAT and/or ACT scores.
3. Recommendation letters (perhaps the most underrated portion of the application).
4. A list of work experiences.
5. A 500 word essay (topic may vary).
6. A list of references who can comment on your skills and work experience.
7. A list of volunteer or community activities in which you have participated.
8. A list of positions held in high school that show leadership and responsibility.
9. Copies of documents and newspaper clippings verifying your awards and honors.
10. If applying for a program such as art, design, or music, you may wish to include a portfolio of your work.

These strategies will put you at an advantage when it comes to successful college admission applications:

1. Collect and assemble the above listed items into a College Application Packet at the beginning of your senior year.  This will put you ahead of the game when the colleges and universities that you are interested in open the window for admission applications.
2. Apply as early as possible.  Getting your application on an admission officer’s desk before most other students puts you at the head of the line for an admission offer and shows that you are a diligent and punctual person.
3. Edit your work!  It may sound elementary but be sure to carefully review all portions of your application for spelling and grammar mistakes.  Have a parent or teacher review your paperwork also.  Sometimes the little things (spelling errors, omitted information) can make the difference between acceptance and rejection.
4. Get GOOD letters of recommendation from upstanding people in your community.  Letters of recommendation from teachers, high school counselors, community leaders, business people, professional people, and members of the clergy are a vital part of the college admission application and should be treated as such.