College applications are the most common buzzword before a semester renewal. From the latest curriculums to university lists, everyone around you feels overwhelmed by what to do when preparing for college. But what many students fall for is making a to-do list of the necessities.
That’s why we wanted to provide you with some great tips for making yourself ready for college. From writing the essay to keeping all vital documents in the correct sequence, here are the top things you should keep with you ready before filling out the college application form and starting your university journey.
How to Prepare for College Applications
1. Start early
It's crucial to start your US college application early due to many reasons. One major perk is having all sets of documents ready for applying. Whether offline or online, US and UK college applications require various deadlines and documents such as essays, recommendation letters, and even test scores like SAT or ACT. You can also keep calendar reminders or search out college websites to thoroughly research beforehand.
2. Create A College List
Creating a US or UK college list before applying in American universities is vital to enhance your chances of getting enrolled. For a simple checklist, you can start by enlisting the top universities against your academic scores and acceptance rates of various universities. Then, you can arrange these against your course choices and their rankings and other parameters, including affordability, student housing, societies, etc.
3. Start the common application prompts
The 2022-2023 cycle will be seen having similar application prompts as those of the last two years. The essay will be singular for all colleges, and that's why you should nail the pin right! Many applications and online tutors help students get the correct set of pointers to add and make great content for their essays. An excellent essay will boost your chances of getting enrolled, so do watch out!
4. Prepare your resume
Preparing college resumes for American universities or even global institutes has been challenging task to overcome for majority of students. The 150-characters limit enables you to brainstorm about your liking, achievements, and activities that define your character. Thus it's easier if you practice and use action words whenever possible.
Another great tip of writing a US college application resume is to quantify your content. Readers are more likely to remember stuff with numbers. This also helps admissions officers learn you more and quickly assess your character.
5. Build a LinkedIn profile
Your LinkedIn profile is yet another innovative way to boost your online presence. A complete LinkedIn account means you mention all basic high school activities, remarkable achievements, and substantial participation.
With more, US and UK college applications also tap into your profile photos and wall posts to ensure a student makes positive use of the digital age. That's why you can also aim to post photos and videos of public achievements such as those in concerts or writing competitions.
Tip: Following the universities on LinkedIn that you wish to apply for can also be a productive way to look out for the latest circulars or announcements.
6. Apply for scholarships
Under various circumstances, many scholarship providers offer small to higher packages, depending upon your course and its depth. And with many of these scholarships, you would have a better chance at securing smaller local scholarships as fewer might be applying for them.
You can also start by looking at private scholarships from local nonprofits and businesses. Other organizations you should check include Rotary Clubs, Toastmasters, 4-H, churches, Boy Scouts and local nonprofits. From researching the eligibility criteria to securing one, college scholarships are a great way to start your college journey.
7. Take a MOOC Test
MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) help you in building strong knowledge of a wide array of subjects. Sites like edX or Coursera present various types of MOOCs to keep your skills sharp and the knowledge fresh. Many websites offer free courses of niches like technology, data security, and physics too.
Such courses can be completed within a short period of time and require little to no training to start. You can also pay a fee to gain the course certificate and add such courses on your resumes for a strong portfolio.
So, here are the top recommendations that you can take on with you for building a strong application. Whilst all of these may require separate steps during such a time as now, we hope we have given you ample arsenal for preparing for college this semester. Now all that's left to do is to go out and give the best you always wanted to do!
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