3 Ways To Increase Your Chances Of Getting Into College

If you asked most college graduates the hardest academic periods they’ve gone through, most would recite the following. The final exams at the end of colleges – for obvious reasons! The initial few terms of college, which can be very hard to survive. Finally, most will also say that getting into college was a massive challenge. It was incredibly stressful, and you put yourself in a position that you’ve probably never been in before. 

Those of you reading this are now in that position or are coming towards it. You’re applying for colleges, and there’s one fear hanging over you: what if I don’t get in? What if no colleges accept my application?! It’s a rational fear, but you need not worry. For one, there are plenty of directions to take your life if you don’t get into college. It’s not the end of the world! However, if this is something you’ve dreamed about for many years, then you can most certainly boost your chances of getting accepted. Here are a few tips to help you out:

Take an Advanced Placement (AP) course

AP courses, or classes, exist for one sole reason – to prepare students for college! As the name suggests, the content of these courses is designed to be more advanced than high-school studies. It gets you ready for the rigors of college education, but it can also provide you with college credits that enhance your application. Most subjects have AP courses available to try. There’s AP chemistry, biology, physics, and lots of other sciences. There’s AP psychology, AP courses for different languages, and so on. See if your chosen subject area has an AP course, then sit it. You gain an understanding of how challenging college courses are, which makes it much easier to deal with the change when you get accepted and start your first term. 

Take school exams seriously

Ultimately, your grades matter a lot when applying for college. In many ways, it’s the key thing colleges look at. Most will certainly have a specific grade target that you must meet, with some emphasizing a certain subject you need good grades in. All of your high-school exams should be taken seriously and you should aim for top marks. You’ll also find that studying hard for your exams helps you become more knowledgeable and provides you with more confidence when you attend college. 

Volunteer and get work experience

College applications aren’t solely about grades and educational achievements. There’s also an element of showing you’re passionate about your chosen field. This can be done by volunteering and seeking work experience. You can talk about this on your college application or at interviews to show that you’ve gone the extra mile to learn about your subject and experience what it’s like working in this field. For example, if you want to study medicine, you need to go out and get experience shadowing a doctor for a few weeks. When push comes to shove, students who volunteer and have work experience will be preferred to ones with equal academic performance but no extra-curricular activities. 

There you have it; three ways to increase your chances of getting into college. It’s a stressful time, but you are in control of your destiny! With the right approach, all colleges will be keen to accept you.