Applying for college is short and sweet. Just fill out and submit an application to the college of your choice between December and January of your senior year. That’s all you need to do if your only intention is to apply. However, getting accepted is another matter. With that motivation, the process starts way earlier. College applications are more protracted when you, the candidate, mull the major considerations of the admissions offices of your target colleges.
Major considerations for college admissions are a student’s academic record, extracurricular activities, SAT scores, and college essay. Your academic record is assessed based on your GPA from ninth grade onwards. High school students need to perform well in core subjects like math, english, and history because a lot of colleges recalculate students’ GPAs to discount subjects like shop and drama. An academic record becomes more impressive with appended grades for Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These are more difficult than regular subjects, and they signal your preparation for more stringent college courses.
Extracurricular activities demonstrate a student’s flexibility to adjust to college life. SATs are taken before the start of senior year, but since it can be taken several times and colleges only consider the highest score, a student may opt to take it during junior year. In the event of low SAT scores, you can retake it fall of senior year. Admissions essays can be drafted well in advance. The essays are your window to reveal to your target colleges who you are and why you’ll be an asset to the school. The personality reflected in your admissions essays undercuts records of your school performance.
In a calendar year, formally filing college applications and awaiting results take all of several months. But before that, preparation should have already rolled on, with you ensuring as early as ninth grade that you have the required grades and attitude, which are part of the process. A successful college application actually takes years to cultivate.
David Charlow founded CollegeCapture to guide students in getting admitted to their dream colleges. Visit this website to know more about college application processes.
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