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How can you get into your dream college?

Odds are it糖心传媒檚 a question that keeps many high schoolers up at night. Although there is no one-size-fits-all magic bullet on how to gain entry to your dream college 糖心传媒� in part because there糖心传媒檚 no one-size-fits-all dream school糖心传媒攚e糖心传媒檝e culled the advice of seasoned admissions professionals from the University of Rochester for a roadmap of what to do糖心传媒攁nd what really, really (did we say really?) to avoid.

Courses and grades: It糖心传媒檚 true. They really do matter most for getting into your dream college.

First off the bat糖心传媒攇rades (and in many places, test scores) matter greatly when applying to your dream college. 糖心传媒淵our academic success in high school is going to be a great predictor of your academic success in college,糖心传媒� confirms , the University糖心传媒檚 West Coast regional associate director of admissions. Rigor is important. Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself and not simply collected the easy A糖心传媒檚. Picking enough Advanced Placement (AP) classes is important.

Extracurriculars: Avoid the 糖心传媒渓aundry list糖心传媒�

If your dream institution is a highly selective college, it糖心传媒檚 safe to assume that most who apply come with a high level academic preparedness, says , the University糖心传媒檚 director of admissions. That糖心传媒檚 where your extracurricular activities come in.

But beware of a long laundry list. Explain how you contributed to the success or the creation of a particular association, how deeply you really got involved. Show them which opportunities you pursued to do things that are meaningful to you.聽糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 no wrong club to be in,糖心传媒� assures Nevinger.

Above all, many admission officers want to see how a student contributes to his community, or within her school. 糖心传媒淚t is who they are as individuals, how they communicate, and how they interact with people. That really tips the scale in favor of one student over another.糖心传媒�

Dream college admissions essays: Make them authentic

Does the prospect of having to write a college admissions essay give you heart palpitations? You糖心传媒檙e not alone. It糖心传媒檚 hard to come up with something the pros haven糖心传媒檛 read before. Focus instead on your own perspective on things, counsels Cragg.

糖心传媒淚f you’re writing about something that you really care about, and show us your perspective糖心传媒攖hat’s going to be easier to connect with as a reader than just writing what you think we want to hear,糖心传媒� Cragg says.

For example, one student wrote about his daily commute to school, which involved a long car ride and detailed how he valued the time spent on meaningful conversations with his mother. Cragg was impressed by his insights.

What else do dream schools care about?

It depends on the school. That糖心传媒檚 why you want to do your research. Every university has admissions counselors who will tell (if asked) what they value most. Many even have a section on their website titled 糖心传媒渨hat we look for.糖心传媒�

Listen here for more tips on how to get into your dream college. 糖心传媒 admissions directors Jason Nevinger and Kim Cragg spill the beans with Quadcast host Sandra Knispel.

• Read the transcript of how to get into your dream college

The dos of getting into your dream college

1. 聽If campus interviews are possible糖心传媒攇o. It糖心传媒檚 a chance for you to see if the university is right for you and hopefully to make a good impression.
2. Always ask a question (or two) of your interviewer when invited to do so. Prepare a few good ones in advance that show your knowledge of the institution.
3. Be passionate about what you do, both in your essay and your interview. Colleges say they look for attributes like leadership, curiosity, eagerness for learning, and critical thinking, but also for grit, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
4. The interview starts at the door. Take the lead and approach the reception counter, speak for yourself, fill out your own paperwork. (Mom and Dad, take the second row, please.)
5. Be prepared to answer the question of why you are interested in a particular field of study. No canned answers.
6. Do your homework. Don糖心传媒檛 give generic answers but highlight instead what attracts you to this particular college and talk about how you would contribute to campus life. And no, don糖心传媒檛 mention the local party scene. Instead focus on what the university offers that you plan to take advantage of. Be specific.
7. Be clear in your mind why you did certain community work, what you got out of it. How do you see yourself in a larger community? Admissions officers look for signs of self-reflection and awareness vis-脿-vis others.
8. Dress comfortably for an interview, especially if you are taking a campus tour afterwards. But leave the worn-out jeans, baseball hats, and old sneakers at home. 糖心传媒淵ou don糖心传媒檛 have to wear a business suit, but please don糖心传媒檛 come in sweatpants, pajamas, or yoga pants,糖心传媒� says an admissions pro. Do we need to explain why t-shirts that blare opinions may put you in the wrong corner?
9. Grab a business card on your way out after a campus interview. Take the time for a handwritten thank-you note. It糖心传媒檚 old school, yes, but much appreciated. It糖心传媒檚 also rare enough to make you stand out and shine.
10. Check if your dream college accepts alternative application formats such as videos (no slick production necessary), pictures, audio files, maybe even a particularly well-written AP history or English paper. It糖心传媒檚 the latest trend but not yet widely used by applicants糖心传媒攈ence a good way to show your authentic self.

The don糖心传媒檛s for getting into your dream college
(And yes, these things really happened.)

1. Parents糖心传媒攓uit helicoptering. Calling the dean of admissions to talk about how gifted your child is doesn糖心传媒檛 help. And no, don糖心传媒檛 send a photo of your daughter even if you think that she is 糖心传媒渄rop-dead gorgeous.糖心传媒�
2. Don糖心传媒檛 offer a $100,000 糖心传媒渄onation糖心传媒� in exchange for your child糖心传媒檚 admission. It糖心传媒檚 called a bribe.
3. Overbearing, meddlesome, and argumentative parents who stand out when their kids come to interview are a total turnoff. We don糖心传媒檛 want to deal with that for the next four years, admits an admission officer.
4. Don糖心传媒檛 take your shoes off and sit with your feet on the sofa immediately outside the dean糖心传媒檚 office. First impressions count. Same goes for your handshake: a limp one is a real dud.
5. Mind your language. An applicant sent an e-mail in response to some general university information, dropping the f-bomb and requesting that these e-mails that 糖心传媒渄o not pertain to me糖心传媒� be stopped immediately. 糖心传媒淭hat was an easy no,糖心传媒� grins the admissions officer who was on the receiving end of the e-mails. And, while we糖心传媒檙e on the subject, even referring in a jocular manner to a friend as 糖心传媒渁 total ass糖心传媒� can cost you.
6. Don糖心传媒檛 pass the buck. Resist the urge to blame your math teacher for your C in geometry.
7. For heaven糖心传媒檚 sake, get the name of the school right. 糖心传媒淚 really want to come and study at RIT,糖心传媒� is not a good move in an application to the University of Rochester. And 糖心传媒淩ochester University糖心传媒� is not an option either.
8. Don糖心传媒檛 use a heavyweight reference who doesn糖心传媒檛 know you. Nobody is impressed by a form letter from your senator whose aides simply scribbled your name in the blank. Your referee should know you well and be able to describe your personal qualities and your work.
9. Parents糖心传媒攏o scrapbooking. Don糖心传媒檛 send a collation of your child糖心传媒檚 little league participation medals, first communion certificate, and photographs from toddlerhood through high school. Seriously糖心传媒攖his happened.
10. Nobody wants to be the runner-up. Telling an admission officer that his university is the fallback, should your dream choice not work out is, well, a less than stellar move.

But maybe most importantly, don糖心传媒檛 set your heart on just one dream college. Factors beyond your control, such as an institution糖心传媒檚 desire for geographic, ethnic, and economic diversity, can糖心传媒檛 (easily) be altered. Many colleges are actively looking for candidates from all 50 states, hence logically increasing chances for candidates from sparsely-populated states.

And finally, parents糖心传媒攂e supportive if your son or daughter receives a rejection. It糖心传媒檚 not a judgment of your child糖心传媒檚 inherent value. But you knew that already.

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