I’m in my sophomore year right now and i’m trying to prepare and have an early start to narrowing down what colleges I want to go to.
I have all A+’s besides one class, which is an A still, and although i’m confident in my grades, it’s obvious that I need more elements to have colleges interested in me.
I’ll only have 4 honors classes with my sophomore and junior year combined. I am planning to take dual enrollment for english my senior year but I need advice on what I should do in order to have more opportunities for better colleges.
Getting high scores on tests such as the PSAT or SAT as well as AP exams will definitely cause a lot of colleges to reach out, as well as other pre-college opportunities and programs
I'm not a college counselor, and I'm only in Junior year, but I can definitely recommend taking on as many extracurricular activities as you can. There are never enough opportunities to show universities what you like to do. Colleges love students that have defined profiles with visible interests because it makes it easier for them to understand what kind of person you'll be in their insitution.
I am a sophomore too and I have been trying to do the same thing. I have many friends that are seniors and have applied for college, and they gave me some useful advice.
Try applying for summer programs. Many colleges offer free or even paid programs to do over the summer. I have list of these programs if you are interested, collegevine has them too! https://blog.collegevine.com/category/extracurricular-activities/summer-activities/
Another thing to do is try participating in many extra cirriculars. I have heard from many that doing well in school is not enough for colleges and they are wanting to see engagement from the students. Anything you passionately and being proactive is always something colleges will care about whether it be sports or a club, as long as it shows good character colleges will love it.
Lastly, keep your school grades up and try not to fail tests. Large exams like the end of the year AP exams are very important because colleges see your test results. SAT and ACT are also important so make sure to study for those as well.
Good luck on your journey! I hope I helped!
Prestigious universities aren't only looking for good grades but they also want students with a 'wow' factor or an experience that makes them stand out. They often pick students who have participated in certain types of events and activities and have a strong communication, leadership, and life skills.
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