HOW TO STAND OUT IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS GAME

SPONSORED POST — Earlier in April, on VBD, happy seniors detailed the colleges that they will be attending in the fall. Congratulations to them all! The list was filled with many elite schools. The question for you juniors, who are now “on deck” and for you sophomores, who are becoming more engaged in the college admissions process is this: Where will YOU get in?

The New York Times recently reported that for this cycle, Harvard offered admission to just 7.1 percent of 27,462 applicants. Yale accepted only 8.3 percent of seniors who applied. Other schools with low admit rates included: Columbia College 8.7 percent, Brown and Dartmouth 13 percent, and Bowdoin and Georgetown at 18 percent. Given the level of competition at the nation’s most elite and other top 100 colleges, what can you do to stand out from the crowd?

You’ve taken a great first step by being active in debate. As you know, it’s an intellectually stimulating, yet time consuming activity. Colleges understand and appreciate your commitment. Documentation of hours spent in preparation for and participation in tournaments is fundamental. Carefully track your victories and document your rankings.You’ve developed a “hook” through debate. If you’re actively involved, you’ve exhibited commitment and passion. And it is that passion which helps separate students with similar high grades and standardized test scores from the pack.

Consider other ways to improve your extracurricular profile. Colleges want to see leadership. One student involved in debate exhibited leadership potential by volunteering to be a manager of a state debate tournament. You can also exhibit leadership beyond the traditional “office holding” in a club or on student government by organizing a fund raiser related to a matter that is of concern to you.

Founding an organization that contributes to the community exhibits extraordinary leadership skills. You must convince others to help you and you need to be an effective manager, executive and administrator.Here are some other things to think about, which we’ll address in more depth in other articles: Letters of recommendation can also be a deciding factor in favor of your admission to a top college. Strategic planning is necessary. Which teachers will you ask? How do they support your “life themes” and passions?

Think about your summer plans. Are they the best use of your time? Are the activities you pursue consistent with your interests? If you need to work to earn money, beyond the “camp counselor mold,” that can be perfectly acceptable. College admissions officers like students who show initiative and aren’t coddled.

Essays are an essential part of the “soft factors” which contribute to your admission. We’ll expand upon this often misunderstood topic in another article. For now, juniors, start to think about your essays. Request applications, or see what last year’s questions were like. They are often the same from year to year. Get an early start. The fall application crunch will be upon you before you know it.

Given the competition to get into selective colleges, it is imperative to carefully consider each piece of your admissions mosaic. By utilizing the kind of strategic planning that I employ with my students at IvySelect, you will be on the right track. To take it to the highest level, IvySelect is available to help maximize your competitive stature for admission to the nation’s top schools.

Michael Goran, J.D., is a college admissions counselor and Director of IvySelect College Consulting, a private college counseling company that works with high-achieving students interested in attending top tier and other top 100 colleges. Mr. Goran can be reached at (877) 489 -8671. Visit the website at www.ivyselect.com.

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm and is filed under Sponsored Post. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.