To reach the Ivy Leagues or national top colleges, your GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores are very important. Academic excellence is a basic requirement for these schools. You should take challenging courses, such as honors and AP courses. Strong grades in honors and AP courses are typically more impressive than perfect grades in regular classes.  SAT and ACT scores are also a major admissions factor at most colleges, and students also have perform outstandingly on these tests.

If a student would like to gain admission to Ivy League schools or other national top colleges, he or she has to be a well-rounded, high achiever or an exceptional leader in one or two related fields. Successful applicants typically possess a special activity or unusual characteristic that sets them apart from other applicants. Admissions officers look for quality over quantity. Join school clubs and other extracurricular activities that really interest you and where you are significantly involved.  Use such activities to demonstrate your achievements, your passion, and your creative nature.

Students register for the PSAT through the students' high school. For more information, please consult your school's guidance counselor.

To register for the  SAT Reasoning Test or the SAT II Subject tests, please visit www.collegeboard.com.  To register for the ACT test, please go to www.actstudent.org/regist

College fairs are a quick and easy way to check out many schools. At college information sessions, you can meet admissions representatives to ask questions and listen to them talk about their school without significant traveling.

Based on your interest, personal strengths, and academic performance, look into colleges that interest you. Consider the college's location, student graduation rate, and future careers.

Pay attention to the format and the descriptions of your activities. Some of our students' resumes are in chronological order while others list their activities in order of importance. Each person may have different way to create an impressive resume. After creating your resume, make sure to send a copy to your student counselor and the teachers who will write your recommendation letters so that they will have a better picture of you.  We also have a resume consulting service.  If you need help in creating your resume, please call 888-494-0938 (toll free) or email us at info@ivytrack.org.

Recommendation letters play a very important role in college applications. With outstanding recommendation letters, some students have been accepted into colleges without the normal interview process.  Choose high school teachers who know you well and are willing to write a strong recommendation letter for you.  Typically, colleges require two letters from your high school teachers and one from your school guidance counselor.

This is a necessary step. Through campus visits, the student can learn about the campus size, the students' personalities,  the surrounding environment, the school facilities and more. It can answer many questions such as: Is this the school I would like to live and study at for four years? Do I feel safe in the surrounding environment?

College application essays are an opportunity to let college admissions officers learn more about you.  To make yourself an exceptional candidate, you need to write impressive and unforgettable essays.  Please see our College Application Essay page for writing tips and common mistakes to avoid.

We provide a personalized college application essay service.  For more information, call us at 888-494-0938 (toll free) or email us at info@ivytrack.org

College admissions officers may check your profiles on social networking sites such as FaceBook, YouTube, and MySpace. Please clean up any negative comments written by you or about you and make sure that there is nothing in your profile that could cause the admissions officers to reject your application.

Most colleges require an interview after your application has been received. Usually, the interview is conducted by a local alumni. College interviews play an important role in the application process, so it is better to practice before the actual interview. Before, during, and after the interview, pay attention to your words and your demeanor. During the interview, smile, stay positive, and most importantly, talk, don't recite. For detailed information about college interviews, please visit our College Interview web page.  If you need personalized training for college interviews, please feel free to call us at 888-494-0938 (toll free) or email us at: info@ivytrack.org

FAFSA  The federal government awards billions of dollars in financial aid each year.  If you would like to obtain federal financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students may submit the FAFSA any time after January 1st, but we suggest that you complete it as soon as possible. The deadline for submission of the 2010-2011 FAFSA is midnight Central Daylight time on June 30, 2011.  For more information about the FAFSA, please visit: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

CSS PROFILE Many colleges require students to file the CSS PROFILE in order to determine the financial aid package for the admitted students. Each college may have different deadline for filing the CSS PROFILE.  Please check the deadline on each college's financial aid office's web page.

See our CSS PROFILE and FAFSA page for more details.

If you have new materials that may increase your chances of being accepted, do not hesitate to send such materials to the college admissions office at any time.

After you have been accepted by a college, you will receive a financial aid package from the college. If you are not happy with the offer, you can appeal the offer and ask the college's financial aid office to change the financial aid package, especially if you have received a more attractive financial aid package from a similarly-ranked or higher ranking school.

Before making your final decision, you and your family need to consider the financial aid package, campus location, campus size, college reputation, field of study, and other important factors. Make sure that you tell the colleges your final decision before the deadlines.  If you are certain you will not be attending a college, inform the college as soon as possible so it can contact people on the waiting list who may wish to attend.