Beyond Your GPA: Get Into Your Dream College by Learning What Matters to Colleges

If you don’t have a standout GPA, you might despair that your dream college is out of reach. But college admission officers look beyond GPAs to the whole student–the person behind the application. Even if you have an impressive GPA, many applicants make the mistake of leaning too heavily on their statistics. Regardless of grades, college applicants should use their application to show a complete picture of who they are to get into their dream college.

Applying to college is a skill. It’s about more than just filling in the blanks on an application and covering the right buzzwords in your college essay. Foundational to a successful college application is finding the right school. Those places where you can develop and hone your unique combination of academic interests and abilities. You can get into your dream college by polishing these areas of your college application.

The curriculum of your transcript.

Colleges look for students who challenge themselves. The curriculum on your transcripts reveals whether you pursue difficult classes, such as AP and college prep, or if you’re more comfortable enrolled in the bare requirements. A high grade in an undemanding class doesn’t do as much for your college application as an average grade in a challenging course.

Your transcript shows your academic ambitions, which is a crucial way to get an admissions counselor’s attention.

Show your interest in the college.

Colleges aren’t excited to admit students who haven’t taken the time to research the school. They’re trusting your judgment that you know the school’s culture and will thrive on campus. If you want to get into your dream college, demonstrate your interest in the school. Some ways of doing this are:

• Taking a college tour.
• Meeting with an admissions officer.
• Communicating your enthusiasm during an admission interview.
• Applying for early decision admission.

If you have your heart set on a particular college, make sure the admissions office knows how excited you are. It’ll go a long way to improving your chances of attending in the fall.

Write a college essay that gets attention.

The college essay is a fantastic opportunity to communicate directly with the admission officer reviewing your application. You can highlight your achievements, describe your ambitions, and let them know what sets you apart from the rest of the field of applicants. Too many students see the college essay as something to get through and resort to dropping in buzzwords rather than taking full advantage of the opportunity.

A college admissions expert at Education Attainment Services can help you revise your essay to highlight attributes to help you get into your dream college.

Make your extracurricular activities count.

Schools want to see more than just your involvement with clubs and groups at school. They want to know that you’re able to commit to your passions and interests and engage deeply with them. Highlight the clubs where you held leadership roles and the extracurricular activities where you have years of participation. Your involvement in clubs can help to tell the story of who you are and the dedication you’ll bring to your studies on campus.

Get expert help to get into your dream college from Education Attainment Services.

Meet with our experienced counselors to get professional help to apply, get in, and pay for your dream college. Our team has years of experience working with students to visualize their higher education goals and then attain them. We’re dedicated to your success.

Our services range from help with the college search to the application process and college essay review all the way to interview preparation and scholarships and financial aid applications. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the college application process, contact us for expert guidance and dedicated help.