3 Tips for Improving Your Chances of Getting into the College of Your Dreams

You may be unaware of some easy ways to greatly improve your chances of getting into the college of your choice. Some schools offer scholarships for people with particular abilities or have made certain kinds of achievements, while other schools use different criteria from year to year. You might, however, feel like you won't qualify for the more standard scholarships or have the greats to get into your first-choice school. However, if you use some of the following free and easy strategies you may tip the balance in your favor:

(1) Early Admissions Option: if you are quite sure you know what college you wish to attend more than any other, you may be able apply for early admission. This means that you apply early to the school, but also commit yourself to going to that school if you get in. The advantage: early admission applicants are more likely to get in - this provides schools with a guaranteed number of students (a kind of safety net in case fewer students apply in a given year). The disadvantage: you have to be sure that the school in question is your top choice - you may not be able to back out easily if you change your mind later.

2) Fit a Demographic: Most schools are looking to balance their demographics. For example, a small liberal arts college with only 500 students may want students from all 50 states. If you are from a less populated and more distant state you may be more likely to get into that school and/or receive scholarship money. This is only one example - there are other things that can set you apart from the crowd as well. Be sure to talk to schools about what kind of student they are seeking specifically.

3) Make Contact: Make contact with schools you are interested in as much as possible. Contact faculty in departments you considering applying to, admissions staff with any questions you might have, and so on. If you present yourself as an interested and serious student you may find that someone you talk to will put in a good word for you. A recommendation from someone within a school can be significantly more valuable than your normal references or letters of recommendation for obvious reasons. This is a particularly important strategy if your grades or scores are below the average accepted at that school.

Of course, you also have to work on your grades and test scores and admissions essays! Additionally, talk to your guidance counselor and anyone else you know who is familiar with academic programs you are interested or associated with academia in general - their advice can save you a lot of time and energy trying to answer simple questions. Still, in addition to these common strategies, the three tactics listed here are often overlooked and truly can mean the difference between getting accepted or rejected from a college.