You’re going to get a lot of advice during the time you’re trying to get into college. Some of it will be good, some will be bad, and some will be downright unhelpful and wrong. At Educational Attainment Services, it’s our job to work with you and help you find the best path to getting into college. Part of this is providing you with helpful tips for how to get into your dream college. In an effort to do this, we’ve decided to debunk a few myths about getting into college.
Your high school doesn’t matter
This is one of the most unfortunate parts of getting into college. Not all high schools are created equal and colleges know this. When looking at your transcripts, a college admissions advisor can compare your GPA with your standing in your class and get an idea of how competitive your school is. However, you can still put your best foot forward by showing your discipline and ability to work hard by getting good grades throughout high school.
Good grades alone will get you there
Yes, good grades are an important part of how you present yourself to a college, but they’re not everything. You need to have something on your application that sets you apart from others. There will be many applicants who have a 4.0 GPA, but how many will have earned a strong GPA and also hold leadership positions, worked a part-time job, or volunteered at their local animal shelter? Make sure that you have extracurricular activities that can supplement your application.
Test scores make or break your application
Not every college is going to place the same amount of emphasis on test scores. In fact, many schools are shifting to make testing optional. While this can be beneficial for those who either don’t test well with standardized exams or get some form of test anxiety, it’s still a good idea to take these tests as another way to set yourself apart from other applicants. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that you’re not going to eliminate yourself from consideration if you don’t ace the test.
You have to visit the campus beforehand
Visiting campus is a great way to see what all a school has to offer you as a student. You can see where you might be living in the dorms, tour the buildings to find out where you’ll be studying, and learn more about the activities that are offered on campus. Although you can use this as an opportunity to meet admissions advisors and professors, it’s not a necessary part of your application process.
You can only have one dream college
It’s important that you keep your focus on the school that you want to attend, but you don’t have to narrow yourself down to a single college. You can have multiple dream colleges that you want to attend as you’ll find that the academic programs and extracurricular activities you’re looking for are available at more than one campus. Are you going to have a preference? Most likely, yes, but it’s OK to set your sights on multiple schools then take your pick when you have options.
Contact us for help
If you’d like to learn more about how to get into your dream college, our team at Educational Attainment Services is here to help. We want to provide you with as much information as possible so you can not only get into college but the one that you want. Reach out by calling 800-706-4134. You can also email us at info@educationalattainmentservices.com or send a message using our online contact form. We’re available anytime so don’t wait until you’ve reached crunch time applying for college.
