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A college essay can make or break your chances for admission

October 25, 2011

The college application process is a harrowing time of filling out forms, writing essays and securing recommendations, and many prospective students are just happy that it's over. If there's one facet of your admissions package that could use an additional review, it's likely your essay, which could be a determining factor in the college's final decision.
Go through your college essay with a fine-toothed comb and make sure that more than two pairs of eyes gets a glance at it.…

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Focus on a few important extracurricular activities to strengthen your transcript

October 25, 2011

While test scores, grades and a college essay play important roles in the application process, involvement in extracurricular activities is also a huge boost for a prospective student's transcript. But you don't want a laundry list of groups that you're barely interested in - it's best to choose a few academic or sporting clubs and put your focus into them.
Colleges will want to see how your passions and leadership skills have translated from these activities into your daily life, so focusing on a few instead of a vast amount will show your dedication to them.…

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Keeping your senior grades high can improve your chances of receiving a college scholarship

October 21, 2011

Colleges and universities have been putting increasing stock in the success of a prospective student during his senior year, so if you've been letting your grades slip, you could lose your acceptance altogether. However, one area where senior grades can matter even more is in your chances for college scholarships.
While colleges have only recently been paying attention to a student's senior grades, these have been very important to scholarship committees for quite some time.…

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Keeping an orderly calendar can make the application process much easier

October 20, 2011

The college application process is a time-consuming venture that could get out of hand if you're not staying on top of everything that needs to be done. Between applying for college scholarships and grants and sending certain applications off for early decision, it's vital that you strive for organization to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Start by taking a small piece of paper and outlining each specific date that holds significant importance.…

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Deadlines are one of the most important facets of the application process

October 19, 2011

If there's one thing that colleges love, it's deadlines. These important dates could play an enormous role when applying for college, and admissions offices will offer little to no leeway if a student misses one of them. That's why it's vitally important that high school students who are filling out their applications have a clear schedule and know when everything should be completed.…

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Preparing to write your college admissions essay

October 18, 2011

A college admissions essay is one of the most important aspects of the application process, and it is one of the few ways that a college can get to know about you outside of your transcript. But this isn't something you're going to sit down and crank out in a few hours - it will require significant research, adherence to the prompt and a few drafts before it's ready to go.…

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The importance of scheduling a college interview

October 17, 2011

College interviews may seem a bit old-fashioned, and many students who get into college may never need to set foot in an admissions office. If you're putting the final touches on your college applications and there's a school or two at the top of your list, an interview may make or break your chances of being accepted.
According to HowToGetIn.com, most colleges conduct in January and February when they are preparing to make their final decisions on applications.…

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Clean up your Facebook page before sending out those college applications

October 14, 2011

According to a recent study by Kaplan Test Prep, an increasing number of college admissions offices are looking to the internet as a means of finding out more about prospective students. A survey of 359 of the nation's top 500 colleges has found that 24 percent of colleges check Facebook or other social networking pages to learn more about an applicant.…

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Extracurricular activities play an important role in your college application

October 14, 2011

When a college admissions office reviews an application, staff members will pay close attention to a prospective student's grades, letters of recommendation and other academic accomplishments. Extracurricular activities are another major aspect in this process, and it can be a real application killer if there aren't enough of these listed.
Colleges are looking for well-rounded individuals, so it would behoove students to join an academic club, a sports team or participate in theatre during their junior and senior years.…

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Choosing the right person to write a letter of recommendation

October 12, 2011

As a high school student, one of the most important parts of the college application process is finding someone to write you a letter of recommendation. You shouldn't look for someone with name recognition or with an elegant writing style, rather, it should be a person who can speak to your talents and give an admissions office a view into your scholarly accomplishments.…

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