Stressing over your college application is a part of life. That’s why we recommend college bound consulting by Grade 9 at least, to lay the groundwork for graduation in Grade 12 and college afterward. Your college admissions consultant shows you the important trends that are deciding who gets into the best schools.
Extracurricular activities are more important than ever.
Because colleges care about who you are and what you value, college bound consulting is key to making first impressions. Personal and in-depth inquiries concerning students’ outside interests, in San Diego and across the country, are distinctive to American universities. Extracurriculars, in many schools, comprise 30% of your application. Despite colleges’ test-optional trend, extracurricular activities still weigh heavily in the admission process.
College admissions professionals want to know more about you beyond your academics and standardized test scores.
Are you a good fit for their university? Is their university a good fit for you? Your activities list demonstrates to admissions officers how creativity, entrepreneurship, and uniqueness have elevated your leadership and extracurricular triumphs. Your college admissions consultant helps you plan your in-school life and out-of-school life — the earlier in your high school career, the better — to take advantage of all the tools available to you.
Universities want to see long-term dedication that indicates scholastic success over four years of college. College bound consulting shows you how one hour a week of an extracurricular is more impressive than many hours for a single project. Our college prep consulting services can direct you to several choices that align with your personality and college goals.
Find a balance between variety and spreading yourself and your extracurriculars too thin. Focus on activities that:
- Align with your personal goals
- Reflect your passion for something
- Demonstrate your creativity and long-term thinking
- Reflect an urge to contribute to your community
Your college essay could be the deciding factor for your acceptance at your dream school.
Many students think they can wing it through high school with middling grades, cram for the ACT or SAT in Grade 11 or Grade 12, and somersault into a great college with standardized test scores. But cramming with SAT and ACT test prep is not always necessary or effective. Many schools are test-optional or test-blind. What now?
Because large public universities have more applicants than private schools and fewer resources to analyze them, the impact of an essay writing tutor, together with your college admissions counselor in other subjects, cannot be overstated. State schools first look at GPA and test results before considering extracurriculars and essays. Because prestigious colleges have more qualified applicants, essays may be thought of as “tie-breakers” for students with similar grades. Essays matter even more. Smaller universities, especially liberal arts schools, are more selective and receive fewer applications, so they take a more holistic approach.
Don’t “blow off” your college essay just because your grades and activities are solid. A poor essay hurts an otherwise strong application.
Your college essay counselor shows you how to encapsulate your interests, abilities, and desired course of study in your writing. Your essay is a chance to highlight your experience and academic interests. If you’re considering a career that requires a great deal of writing, such as humanities like English or sociology, a poor essay reflects a lack of seriousness and self-awareness. If you’re thinking about STEM subjects, on the other hand, you may have more latitude. Still, you must write a well-reasoned essay.
Many schools don’t consider standardized test scores in admissions. This means your other application components are more critical. If you’re applying to test-optional or test-blind colleges, your writing will be given more weight. If you apply to a school that requires standardized examinations, your essays may weigh less.
Public universities may be an incredible deal for in-state students, but private universities and colleges can be more cost effective for those going out of state.
Financial advice for your education, along with assistance with financial aid applications, is a key part of what your college admissions consultant can do for you. Many students make the mistake of examining in-state universities only, for example, because they think in-state schools are less costly. Many public universities have much more affordable tuition rates for their in-state students than do out-of-state universities and private colleges.
Because they’re smaller and more competitive for quality applicants, though, private universities and colleges may offer more scholarships and other financial aid to entice prospective students. Financial assistance award letters from public universities may include extra-institutional grants or university grants financed by local, federal, or state monies. Private universities are more likely to offer donor-funded scholarships as financial aid.
Cost is always a factor, but the value of a school’s suitability for your personality and life goals cannot be overstated.
A lower price tag doesn’t matter if you’re miserable or the school isn’t giving you the preparation for graduation and life after school. Public universities tend to be more diverse than their private counterparts. Because they have to accommodate so many students, though, you may have large classes where individual attention is less available. You may have to wait in line for access to programs, equipment, research, and more.