In this article, I am going to highlight one of my former students, Nicole M. who is now a student at Yale University. Nicole was very successful in the college planning and admissions process, receiving acceptances to many top universities across the country including Princeton University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Dartmouth University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, and many others.
She earned more than $1 million dollars in scholarship offers and achieved all of her college admissions goals. In my interview with her, she gave me five tips that all students can apply for how she was able to achieve so much success in the college admissions process.
Here are her five recommended tips:
1. Take the College Planning & Application Process Seriously
If your goal is to be accepted to your choice college, you need to take the college planning process seriously. This means working hard, keeping yourself accountable to your goals, and developing yourself to your fullest potential.
2. Focus on the Important Areas
You need to focus on your coursework first and challenge yourself with advanced courses if you want to be more competitive. Additionally, work hard to get the highest SAT or ACT score possible because this is one of the top factors admissions officers look at when making admissions decisions.
3. Develop Your Passions
Focus on the areas you are passionate about and develop these areas to your fullest potential. Go beyond your high school and local area and explore additional opportunities that may be available.
4. Have Clear Goals
Having clear goals, both short-and long-term, helps you to become focused, determined, and action-oriented! Goals also help you stay motivated and they give you something to reach for. Lastly, goals provide you with clear direction, help you to stay on track, and give you a sense of accomplishment when your goals are achieved!
5. Embrace Failure
It’s important to take risks and challenge yourself to get outside of your comfort zone. Through this process you may sometimes fail, but you will also succeed and grow into a stronger and more developed individual.
These are Nicole’s top five tips for succeeding in the college planning and admissions process. Realize the students who are serious about the college planning process and who develop themselves to their fullest potential will have much more success in the college admissions process. Work hard in school, develop your passions and also don’t be afraid of failure. Get outside of your comfort zone and embrace the many opportunities that are available to you, so that you can reach your full potential.
Dr. Jeff Haig of Irvine, founder of Strategic College Consulting, is a college planning expert. He helps schools, families and organizations through the college admissions and financial planning process.
