Sending a sneaker with the note, “Now that I’ve got my foot in the door…” won’t help your college application.

Sending presents to the admissions counselor won’t work.

What about mailing cookies with your app?

“I’d sure like to say yes because I’m a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, but they don’t really help students,” says Stacy Ledermann, director of freshman admissions at St. John Fisher College.

Moral of the story: “When it comes right down to it, the gimmick isn’t going to replace their overall test scores or grade point average,” Ledermann says.

Yep, that’s right: No amount of clubs joined, essays pontificated or cookies baked will impress admissions reps as much as your good old academic record and SAT or ACT scores.

At Marygrove College in Detroit, your high school transcript and ACT score are paramount. But there’s another thing that counts: the overall impression you give an admissions counselor.

 “It’s intangible, but it’s weighed more heavily than anything else,” says John Ambrose, director of undergraduate admissions at Marygrove.

Picking a college

Ambrose recommends researching no fewer than 12 colleges. That list should include schools in several different genres. Here is a brief list of college types to consider:

• Close-to-home college
• College-town campus
• Commuter campus
• Community or junior college
• Far-away school
• Foreign college or university
• Hispanic Serving Institution
• Historically black college or university
• Honors college
• Large or small state university or college
• Large or small private university or college 
• Learning disabilities specialized college
• Liberal arts college 
• Online degree program
• Religiously affiliated college
• Sports-centric school
• Trade school
• Urban campus

Apply

Once you’ve picked a few colleges, it’s time to apply! Even though you researched a dozen or so colleges, you should limit the number to which you apply—six, tops.

“The FAFSA allows students to list up to six (schools) on their initial application, so that’s a good guide,” Ledermann says.

The idea is to do enough research about whether or not you’d be a good fit for the school before you apply.

Get your applications in as soon as possible. Not only will it lessen your stress later in the school year, but it could also help your chances of admission.

“Here at Fisher, it’s always to the student’s advantage to apply early in the process,” Ledermann says. “Once you get into students applying in February and March, you’ll be missing out on invitations to programs and for scholarships. Once you get beyond a certain point, we’re beginning to find that our classes are filling.”

The pieces of your application

“The number-one factor when we make decisions is the (high school) curriculum,” says Denny Nicholson, director of admissions at Le Moyne College.

Nicholson says colleges take into account the courses that are offered at your high school, so you’re not out of luck if your school’s honors-level pickings are slim.

Le Moyne’s second-most decisive admissions factor is a student’s GPA. Then, there’s your writing sample, personal interview, letter of recommendation and overall impression.

Essay

Don’t use your personal essay to just repeat what’s on your transcript, application or résumé. Your essay is the place to expand on something you’re really passionate about.

“Take a risk of being unique without putting together something that a reader might find disturbing,” advises Carol Miller, a school counselor at Lansing High School.

Is the application essay optional? Do it anyway.

The essay is your place to shine, so don’t worry too much about bragging. And make sure you give specifics.

“There’s one young lady who rebuilds old vintage cars. That was something that was nowhere on her transcript or test scores. Another young lady played rugby. Those kinds of things help students differentiate from other folks,” Ambrose says. “Then there are the people who don’t do anything. And that’s generally where the essay comes in, where they have to be introspective about who they are and what they want to do.”

Letter of recommendation

Afraid your counselor doesn’t know you well enough to write a winning letter of recommendation? Ask the college if you can submit one from a teacher, coach, pastor or other person who knows you well instead.

“Some students may think that the best letters of rec come from the people with the longest title or the fanciest letterhead, but the best ones come from those who know the students best,” Ledermann says.

Through letters of recommendation, admissions reps are looking to see if what you say about yourself and what someone else says about you match.

“We read the letters of recommendation to make sure everything checks out,” Nicholson says
Great letters of rec are most beneficial for students who might need an extra boost into the “yes” pile, or to help you stand out against someone with similar test scores and GPA.

“But an outstanding letter of recommendation can’t erase three years of poor performance in the high school classroom,” Ledermann says.

Interview

Not all colleges will require—or even offer—interviews for prospective students. But if an interview is available, do it.

During a college interview, you might be asked the classes you plan to take senior year, your character, what you’ve been involved with in and out of school.

After the rep is done asking you questions, ask your own to make an even better impression.
“We really believe that (asking questions) is a critical point in the interview process,” Nicholson says. “We hope students will open up their notebooks with questions for the admissions counselors.”

What happens next?

Once an application is complete, it is typically reviewed by two to eight people. And admissions decisions can be made quickly.

“At Marygrove, we try to (review applications) within 48 hours of the application being complete,” Ambrose says.

At Le Moyne and Fisher, the turnaround is about four weeks from receiving a complete application to sending an admissions decision.

Following up

You may receive a letter or e-mail acknowledging that your application has been received. You may also receive a thin envelope or e-mail once you’ve been accepted—or rejected—for admission.

Make sure you read everything you receive from your prospective colleges, check your e-mail often, and don’t assume that a thin envelope means “rejected.”

If the college hasn’t confirmed receipt of your application within two weeks, call admissions to ask if it’s complete. Be professional and patient on the phone—remember, you want them to think of you fondly!

Decision made!

When you make your own final decision about what college to attend, call the other schools you applied to and let them know you won’t be enrolling. That will free up your financial aid and class space for someone else.

Then, start bragging to your underclassmen friends about how easy your college search was. And enjoy the rest of your senior year!

---

Go to a college fair

The easiest place to get information about several types of schools at once is at a college fair. At a fair, pick up pamphlets from several types of schools. As you look through the information, use these questions to weed out schools that don't offer the experience you're looking for.

Only you can decide if the answers to the following put the college higher or lower on your list. 

• Is the campus big, small or medium?
• Is the school religiously affiliated?
• Will you be able to drive home, or will you fly?
• Is there a large Greek presence? 
• Does it offer your major?
• Are other majors offered that interest you?
• Is there an honors college? 
• Are study-abroad programs offered?
• Are co-ops or internships required?
• Will your AP classes transfer for college credit?
• How much in student loans will you need to borrow?
• Are there programs to help freshmen adjust to college?
• Are there clubs or activities that you would join?
• Do they offer your sport?
• Do you find the campus attractive?
• Do your values match that of the general student body?
• When will you be able to take classes in your major?
  

 

This article is provided by The Next Step Magazine (nextSTEPmag.com), a publication that helps students prepare for life after high school.