Seven Magical Tips for Getting Into Your Top Choice College

Eager to escape high school and head to college for a real educational experience? Already looking forward to the classes you'll take and the professors you'll meet? Excited about the new friends you'll make and all the fun you'll have? Well, if you're like many students, all of these fantasies of the perfect college experience take place at your "Dream School"---the school you, and probably your parents, think is perfect for you. But keep this in mind: while getting into a college isn't difficult (most of the nearly 3,, 000 colleges and universities in the United States have a 75% or higher acceptance rate), landing into your top choice school is often infinitely harder. That's why you must begin preparing the makings of your college application in 8th or 9th grade. Here are the Seven Magical Tips for making yourself irresistible to virtually any admissions officer on the planet:

1.Take a challenging course load---and do well: This is a given. Admissions officers want proof that you're academically advanced enough to take advantage of the resources at their school. Take AP and Honors classes in subjects that interest you, and avoid "easy A" electives like Physics for Poets or the History of Basket Weaving. Also be sure to take four core classes every year: one English, one math, one history, and one science---minimum! If offered at your school, seriously consider taking the same foreign language all four years of high school. Just don't overwhelm yourself---you want to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA for highly competitive colleges and 3.0 for less competitive colleges.

2.Choose a focus: Colleges want to see that you've pursued a specific interest or passion. If you like English, for instance, take the most advanced English classes available at your school, join the school literature magazine or newspaper, and do relevant community service, like volunteering at a library or at a local literacy group. Colleges are not especially fond of students who have a mélange of completely unrelated activities. If you don't narrow down your academic interests at least a little bit, they'll assume you won't be decisive about selecting your major when you come to their school.

3.Join National Honors Society: If your school has an NHS chapter and you meet the GPA requirements, join! Colleges love to see that you're involved inn an academic club and that you're doing community service. But take all of the rules and service hours seriously---getting kicked out won't impress anyone!

4.Get a job or internship! If you live in a major city, you're probably surrounded by hundreds of internships and great jobs, and not even aware of it! Even in smaller towns, if you're creative, you can find ways to earn career experience or earn extra cash. Students who take the initiative to explore their interests at a professional level always impress colleges. Just don't let your work hours interfere with your studies; it's probably best not to work more than two hours a day during the school week.

5.Enter contests: Search for contest opportunities online or at your library; there are plenty of books that list nothing but contests. If you're a science whiz, for example, look for science essay contests and project competitions. The point is to find contests that cater to your strengths and enter as many of them as you can. Beware of contests that ask for entry fees, however---they're often frauds.

6.Demonstrate leadership: Become president of a school club, start a new organization in your community, or take a leadership class. Show colleges that you can stand up, voice your opinions, and make a difference. Admissions officers seek students who can make a lasting impact on campus.

7.Create a résumé: Keep track of all your accomplishments so you don't forget them when filling out college applications your senior year of high school. List everything of remote importance: athletic involvement, science fair participation, published work, babysitting gigs, your garage band, etc.

Getting into your dream school requires time and commitment, but if you have the will and follow through on what you start, there's a very good chance that the college you love will love you, too.