If you ask most current students, they will tell you that going to college is not actually the hard part of the post secondary career. Before you can become a psychologist in Hamilton or a doctor on some Aurora CO real estate, you need to get some education. But before you can get your academic career started, you need to get into the right school. Not long ago, good grades and SAT scores would go a long way here. Today, though, there are more applicants to colleges than ever.
And that means many colleges have really amped up their application processes. No longer do you just fill out a few forms and get in like drop through valves fall into place industrially. Today, there are many steps needed to get the attention of the Admissions offices. Generally speaking, the more influential the college the more stringent the application process. Here are a few tips we hope will help make things easier.
First, and most important, know what your deadlines are. This isn't work, where you can say the industrial vehicle stalled so you couldn't get back on time. It's not even actual college yet, where many professors can be talked into deadline extensions. Those deadlines are firm, and most which arrive after that deadline has passed will end up in the recycle bin at the Admissions office, never having been read.
Once you know the deadlines for each part of your application, break it down a bit into the most difficult parts. We suggest starting with the essay, which most people find the most intimidating portion of the application process. Choose an area you are passionate about, whether it is your work in a nursery supply store or humanitarian work overseas. That will make the essay a lot easier to write.
Don't forget to proofread that essay too! Obvious spelling and grammar mistakes here will not get you off on the right foot, and might even land your application in the reject pile. You want to look like a future lawyer, not someone destined to slave alongside tray packers for the rest of your life.
Finally, remember to build yourself up in the application. Include all of your relevant skills, awards, and extra curricular work on your package. The more you can demonstrate that you are a hard worker willing to get involved, the better the chance your application has of being noticed.
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