There is no magic formula to ensure a student's admittance in the college of their choice. All colleges review a student's ACT or SAT score, their completed pre-college curriculum and their
grade point average (GPA). In addition, colleges may also have other entrance criteria, such as involvement in community and extracurricular activities, or an entrance essay.
As it turns out, all these components are important, and in the end, most colleges are simply looking for the most qualified applicants they can find, and that means sifting through as
much information as they have available on a particular student - grade point average (GPA) in high school, difficulty of high school classes, test scores and extracurricular and community
activities.
If you talk to college admission officials and read the research on what makes a good candidate for college admission, most agree on some basic facts. This month, we offer eight tips on
helping a student get into college and a timeline for planning that process.
1. Start Early: Parents and students should begin to plan during freshman year in high school. Often, students get stuck in their senior year with a low GPA and a transcript that
doesn't include the more demanding classes offered in high school. By senior year, it's often too late to make it up.
2. Take the pre-college curriculum in high school. This is not an option, but the bare minimum for college entrance. A student can take numerous Advanced Placement (AP)
courses at Grayson County High School to enhance their transcript.
3. Be serious about your school work. A strong academic record is key to getting into college. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, ". . . there is no
substitute for your student getting a solid and broad academic education, which includes taking the most challenging courses possible in high school and maintaining good grades
throughout high school." Take classes that are challenging and focus on the core subject areas, math, English, science, social studies
and foreign languages. Marilyn Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard University says that even a lower grade in an AP class often looks better than a higher grade in a less-challenging class. And, don't take the senior year off. Your junior and senior years are the
times you should take classes that show you are advancing.
4. Get involved in extracurricular or community activities. Participate in activities that give back to your school or community.
Colleges want well-rounded students. It's sometimes better to have a 3.0 GPA with four years of volunteer work than a 3.5 GPA with no
community service.
5. Find out what you're passionate about. Colleges look for students who show commitment and dedication to something over time,
which can be sports, school clubs, or even a hobby. Dary Picken, admissions counselor at Centre College in Danville, Ky., said "while
test scores and grades are very important to us, and a high school course load of challenging, college prep classes with grades of A's and
B's is pretty standard for our applicants, we still consider extracurricular involvement, letters of recommendation, and the essay as an
example of a student's potential."
6. Take the PSAT early. The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) is designed for juniors but taking it as both a sophomore and junior would be beneficial to the student. The PSAT will allow a
student to get an early assessment of strengths and weaknesses, and then begin to focus on those areas of need. The good thing about it, students get an early assessment, and
colleges won't see the scores.
7. Take the ACT early in junior year. Mike Meredith, senior counselor at Grayson County High School says he encourages students to take the ACT at least by Christmas of their
junior year to identify strengths and weaknesses. "The ACT is the great equalizer for college admissions," Meredith explained. "Some high schools offer more rigorous coursework
than others, so this test really gives colleges a handle on a student's academic ability." Because this is a senior test, expect some of the scores to be low when taken early in the junior
year. Scores should increase when students retake the test as seniors and the highest score is the one colleges will consider.
8. Start researching colleges early. With the worldwide web, finding information on colleges is a snap. Not only can you get much of the information you need about a college, but
you can also get the names of admissions officials you can call on when you start to narrow down your choices. The more informed you are about a college, the more impressive you
will be when you actually meet with admissions officials face-to-face.
A timeline for college preparation
Eighth Grade Year
• Attend the registration meetings at Grayson County Middle School. These will help you understand the components of the pre-college curriculum and other offerings at GCHS.
Freshman Year
• Everything from here on out matters. A student's grades from this point forward will be considered strongly when they begin applying to college. Course selection from the beginning of high
school is a very important component of college admissions. Students should take the most challenging courses offered in high school that they can handle. Also, students should become
involved in extra-curricular activities they enjoy, or at least explore several activities to see what interests them.
• It's never too early to start planning for the financial aspects of higher education. Costs are rising almost yearly.
Sophomore Year
• Continue taking the most challenging courses and make the best grades possible. In addition to looking at a student's overall GPA, colleges also like applicants who make good grades
consistently, over the entire period of their high school years.
• Take the PSAT during sophomore year to get an early assessment on strengths and weaknesses. Contact Linda Huffman, GCHS counselor, for more information.
• The summer following a student's sophomore year is not too early to take the ACT or SAT exams for the first time in order to get a feel for the tests, get a good measuring stick for a student's
abilities and maybe get past the usual "test fright" early.
• Start researching colleges that interest you.
Junior Year
• Continue talking the most challenging courses and make the best grades possible.
• By the Junior year, a student should be narrowing down the list of colleges in which to apply and begin getting serious about researching their requirements, financial aid arrangements.
Continue taking challenging classes and focusing on making good grades.
• By Christmas, a student should have taken the ACT test. Contact Linda Huffman for registration information.
• Start exploring scholarship opportunities. There are literally millions of scholarship dollars available for deserving students. In the past two years alone, Grayson County graduates have
received more than $3.6 million in scholarship money over a four year period. For additional scholarship information, contact Mike Meredith, senior counselor at GCHS.
Senior Year
• Don't take senior year off. Continue to take challenging courses that show your growth. Colleges look for students who show consistent academic progress over time.
• Start visiting colleges in which you're interested. Take advantage of all the college fairs your high school offers. If you need help, see your senior guidance counselor for advice.
• Ask teachers and other leaders in the community for recommendation letters.
• Take the ACT/SAT again.
• Start applying for scholarships early and work on the essays that are required for most awards. Have your parents and teachers review your essays. These should be your absolute best work.
• Apply to the colleges of your choice early. |
