| For most high school Seniors, the college application season has come to an end. But submitting the application is not necessarily the end of the process. There is still work that can – and needs – to get done by students who really want to get accepted to a favorite school.
1. Check the status of your application to make sure the Colleges have everything they need. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the application status to ensure that each School has received all documents. This includes transcripts, letters of recommendations and any other supporting materials. Some schools allow students to check their application status online. Check the colleges’ websites for information. If you cannot check application status online, call the School to confirm that they have what they need.
2. Apply for scholarships. There are scholarships for just about every possible interest, family situation, personal trait or talent, including ethnicity, religion, community service, veteran status, twins, children of single parents, creativity, left-handedness and more. The scholarships with large dollar amounts are typically extremely competitive. Apply for some scholarships with smaller dollar amounts, they add up. Apply to many scholarships. The more you go for, the more chances you have to receive.
3. Send in additional information that is worth sending. These can include improved SAT or ACT scores, new honors or awards, a faster time or other sports achievement, a new internship or research responsibility, and a new leadership position in a group or team.
4. Continue studying & doing well in school. Colleges look at a student’s entire high school academic record when making admissions decisions. They can ask for grades at any time, even after a student has been admitted.
5. Check with your school to know your exact graduation requirements, including courses, minimum GPA, and necessary community service hours. You must meet your local district requirements to graduate. Different colleges, especially the most competitive ones, may have additional requirements for applicants. Research these requirements and make sure they are met. Online courses can help close some gaps.
6. Prepare thoroughly to pass any Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, SAT Subject exams or others that schools will be looking at and considering. You must take and pass the AP test in order to receive college credit.
7. Check your email to see if your College contacted you. This is the way schools communicate to let you know if they need additional information or if a student has been accepted or denied.
8. Demonstrate interest or enthusiasm for your favorite colleges. This can be done by visiting the school again (or for the first time), meeting with faculty members, sitting in on a class, attending any regional events that the school might host, checking out blogs and linking to the school via online media. All of this demonstrates to the admissions committee that you are truly interested in attending. These actions can also help a student make a more informed decision on which school to attend.
8. Enjoy senior year! It goes by so fast.
CONTACT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS
This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 300 students find, apply to, and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process.
For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com or call 954 414-9986.
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