So you've got all of your credentials in place: grades, test scores, life experiences, and more. Now you need to figure out how to put all of that together in a way that will cause your college admissions application to standout in the eyes of the colleges of your dreams. To do so, follow these five tips:

1. Don't limit yourself to completing the standard application form. If you have more information to communicate than the application form allows for, then attach that additional information. Feel free to submit an extra essay, extra recommendation, or a note about a special circumstance.
2. Pick an unusual essay topic. Rather than writing about your room, focus on something that really reflects upon who you are as a person. What are your academic strengths and accomplishments? Give examples. Prove, don't just say, that you are a scholar.
3. Highlight your leadership skills. Did you head up a youth group or design and implement any special projects for a volunteer organization? Did you have any leadership roles, even for a few hours, at a summer job?
4. Send extra materials if your talents justify it. Are you a talented musician? Send a CD of your music to the admissions office and to the music department. Are you a great photographer? Put together a portfolio and submit a copy to the admissions office and to the photography department.

Posted by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com on October 13, 2006 at 7:35 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

• Get good grades. Your GPA is the most important factor in college admissions.
• Emphasize your strengths through a challenging curriculum. Don't overload with advanced courses unless you can do well in them. Balance your schedule but be aware that colleges are masters at finding GPAs which are inflated by basket weaving type courses.
• Get a good score on your SAT / ACT standardized tests. Most schools require these and most students practice, practice, and practice some more. If you don't, you're at a disadvantage. These are not intelligence tests because you can improve your score by studying, so do.
• Use extra-curriculars to show your passions. You will likely be asked to talk or write about your choices for your non-school time, so choose activities for which you have passion as they will be more meaningful to you and you will be able to better communicate passions.
• Get good letters of recommendation. Nothing looks sillier than a letter of recommendation from someone who has a recognizable name or position but obviously doesn't know the person for whom they're writing a letter of recommendation. Better to have someone who really knows and likes you write it than someone who doesn't know you or doesn't like you. Ask them in advance what they'll say. You'll be surprised at how many people write negative recommendation letters because their reputations are more important to them than your ability to be admitted to a particular school.
• Your essay should reflect your values. Be honest as it will show how unique you are. If your honesty prevents you from being admitted to a particular school, count yourself lucky as you would not have fit in well there and the degree from a school that does not share your values is not a degree that you want following you around for the rest of your life.
• Don't just say you're interested, prove it. Email, write, visit, and interview. In-person visits matter a great deal to most schools, even if they don't tell you so.
• Include at least two "safe" schools. More students are applying to more schools, yet the number of slots is not increasing. What does that mean? More rejections. Just because your parents applied to three schools and were accepted at two doesn't mean that you will. In fact, you probably won't be simply because it is harder to be admitted now than it used to be. It isn't that the students are better. It is that there are fewer slots per student. Apply to at least seven schools: two to which you could be admitted but probably won't qualify, three to which you should be admitted and probably will be, and two to which you will definitely will be admitted but probably will decline if one of the better five come through.

Posted by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com on October 3, 2006 at 6:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)