Advice for Getting Into College

Having come out the other side of over six years of higher education, I feel like I am in a position to provide a certain amount of advice to people interested in getting into college. There is no question that getting into college opens up doors and opportuniteies that simply don't exist for people with only a high school diploma. But I also remember the incredible amount of stress involved in the process. Quite frankly, this is a completely new experience for anyone approaching this situation for the first time. As you grow, you'll see that getting into college is a lot like getting into anything else: a new company, an organization, etc. But we all have to start somewhere, and for almost everyone, it is getting into college. Here is some advice that can hopefully make it less stressful and more successful.

Getting into college takes hard work and effort on a number of levels. First and foremost, your grade point average will be one of the main things that a college will look at. But they will also look at, not just the numbers, but the classes behind it. They obviously favor students that attempt and perform in higher level and college prep classes. Be careful taking too many "easy-A" classes.

Of course, your grade point average isn't everything when getting into college. It is important to do well on the standardized tests. Many schools accept SAT results, some prefer ACT. Find out which test you should take and get plenty of study materials and time to use them. Consider your standardized test as another class.

Next in order of importance is the personal essay. With the advent of the Internet, it is easier than ever to see good examples online. However, this is a double-edged sword; colleges are expecting more and more out of the personal essays. Extracirricular activities are important, as is the letter of recommendation, but they are easily the least important part of the process.

Getting into college isn't a one-way road. You should be just as careful when selecting a college as when colleges are selecting students. Maybe a certain school has a great program for your intended major; but intentions change, especially in college. Make sure you have a college with many different strong programs.

Getting into college isn't just "the next step". It is a crucial first step. Not into a specific career path or a happy life, but learning how to get into college, and thinking critically about it is probably the first of many life decisions you will be faced with. Going this experience should, hopefully, make the coming ones that much easier.