How to Make Yourself Stand Above the Rest of the Competition

Whether you expect to graduate from high school in a couple of weeks or are a high school junior getting ready to become a senior in a few months, you must prepare quickly for what is right around the corner.

College will be here before you know it!

And here is a little wisdom I would like to impart before it gets too late. 

“Don’t let your college choose you. You choose your college.”

So what does that mean exactly?

I’ve worked with countless high school students who needed to be more proactive to ensure they could attend the college of their choice. Instead, they waited around, didn’t put out the maximum effort during the last few months of their high school career, and then had to settle for their third, fourth, or even fifth college choice. 

Why spend 13 years of your life learning in the classroom only to make a fumble when it is close to making accurate decisions that will decide part of your future? The college you choose, the friends you will make, and the major (career) you decide upon could significantly affect your life from here on out. 

How do you get into the right college? By making yourself stand so far above the competition, a college will find it difficult to turn you down.

And you don’t need magic or witchcraft to do this. Follow these tips, and soon those acceptance letters, emails, or congratulatory phone calls will happen sooner rather than later. 

Don’t Be Just a College Application
College acceptance boards get littered with applications that are ordinary and humdrum. Don’t fall into that category. Make yourself stand out from the rest. 

There are plenty of ways to do this. For instance, print the forms rather than blindly apply online and go to the college in person. Set up meetings with the staff that are making essential decisions on applicants. If they don’t have enough time to meet with you, ask to video conference instead. At the very least, make a short video of yourself and the positives you can bring to their school. Because remember, they want students that will get as many good vibes to their school as possible. And they need to learn about your positivity and can-do attitude from an application form. 

Create a Masterpiece
Many colleges ask applicants to write an essay to submit with their applications. This is your chance to create something that will provide the readers a real opportunity to get to know the type of person you are. 

These essays are sometimes even more important than the applications stating your grades, extracurriculars, and sports you have played. This essay will allow them to hear about your life, your situation, and the struggles you have overcome. 

Don’t just sit down and write this essay in half an hour; call it good, and send it off. Take your time and make it perfect. This will require a few rewrites and getting other people’s opinions as they may see problems with it that you don’t. It’s the whole forest and the trees’ dilemma. 

Here at iAchieve, we pride ourselves on offering the most complete college essay package you will find. The college acceptance board will recognize your effort in writing your essay and respond accordingly. We will work with you to get your writing on point. 

Know Why You Want to Attend that Exact College
As I stated earlier, I have helped several high school seniors get into their college. But one of the first questions I ask each student is why they chose that particular school. Unfortunately, I often hear it is strict because a sibling has also previously attended that school. They need to speak of the programs offered, the financial aid available, or the professors they look forward to learning from. They are just following a path created by someone else. If this is the case, it is time to reassess. 

Choose the college that fits your personality, goals, and future dreams. Hopefully, it will be a college you can afford because let’s not kid ourselves; there is no use putting yourself in extreme debt for a degree that you could earn at a fraction of the cost from other schools that are just as prestigious. 

When people ask why you chose a particular college, you should list the reasons that will impress them. Saying an older sibling went there previously will not cut it. The professionals deciding who gets to enroll in their college might smile and nod their heads with simple answers, but to make them sit up and take notice, you need to be prepared to wow them with solutions. 

This is the future you are talking about. It’s a competition. Prepare for it and choose wisely. 

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