Step 1: Maintain your academic performance |
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. |
Step 2: Be active, be creative, be a leader |
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.
|
Step 3: Register for and take the PSAT/SAT/ACT/SAT II
tests |
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 |
Step 4: Attend college fairs and college information sessions |
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. |
Step 5: Explore college majors and future careers |
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 toll free 888-494-0938 or email us at
info@ivytrack.org. |
Step 7: Talk to your guidance counselor and teachers about recommendation letters |
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? |
Step 9: Write college application essays |
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 toll free 888-494-0938
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. |
Step 11: Work on your college applications |
Most schools accept
the Common
Application, but some schools also require their own
supplemental application. Please check each school's
website or call each school's admissions office to make sure
you have all the materials that the school needs. You can file
the
Common Application online at:
www.commonapp.org. |
Step 12: Submit your college applications before the deadline |
Each school may have
a different application deadline. Students should make a
chart of deadlines and make sure to send in
the applications before the deadlines. |
Step 13: Prepare for college interviews |
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 toll free
888-494-0938 or email us at:
info@ivytrack.org |
Step 14: File the FAFSA & CSS PROFILE |
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. |
Step 15: Follow-up materials |
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. |
Step 16: Appeal your financial aid package |
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. |
Step 17: Decide which school you are
going to attend |
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. |