The top colleges in the United States are hard to get into. They have high entrance requirements and usually low acceptance rates. With the sheer amount of people who want to go to the best of the best, it’s likely that people are going to be rejected, even those who are otherwise talented and would have been accepted if there just weren’t so many other talented applicants.
Your resume, of course, is not the only thing you can do to improve your acceptance chances. You can also use these tips to improve your application, secure scholarships, and get accepted.
Improve Your Extra Curriculars
Volunteer
If you really want to stand out, then a good way to do that is by volunteering. This doesn’t have to be a huge hassle, either. You can volunteer to tutor other kids, or you can volunteer to help low-income kids learn a sport as these will help you improve your own skillset and look good on a college application.
This is particularly important if you aren’t #1 in your school in terms of academics or in your local league. You can still stand out and still earn scholarships by rounding out your application through philanthropy.
Clubs
If you are an athlete, then you already have the sort of after-school focus that colleges look for. If you aren’t, then you will want to join a club in your interest. If your school doesn’t have that club, then either start one or join a local community organization instead.
Improve Your Chances of Earning a Scholarship
Work With Your Guidance Counselor
If you are hoping to earn a scholarship based on your academic performance, then you will likely want to work with the guidance counselor or, if their efforts aren’t enough, an application coach can be your saving grace. In short, you need a professional who is experienced in the application process, know what the college board is looking for, and can help you improve yourself and your application to improve your chances to be accepted and earn scholarships.
Work With a Career Coach
If your chance of earning a scholarship lies in sport, then you are going to want to hire a career coach. These coaches can help you improve your game, your application, and help you get noticed by college scouts. This is particularly important if your high school doesn’t have people in the sport. Football coaches can have connections in the industry, but it is rare for high schools to have professional golfers in their midst. If you play golf and want to earn golf scholarships, then a career coach is the way to go.
They can help you improve your college application, secure a scholarship, and even continue to coach you through to the pro levels.
References
Your favorite teacher, your coach, and the people you have volunteered for are all great examples of people you should collect references from. You can use these references to improve your college application, and even help you in job and internship hunting later on if necessary (just remember to keep these references or publish them on your LinkedIn).
