How do I increase my admissions chances in a reach school?Answered
I'm currently a rising sophomore, but I decided to get an early start at looking for colleges. Most of the schools that I've liked are in the reach category for me. What should I do to help increase my chances of getting into those schools? My weighted GPA is a 4.6, and I haven't taken the SATs or ACTs yet, but I'm planning to in the coming school year.
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2 answers
Hi @KenzieMcgraw!
The best thing you can do to improve your chances of admission is start building your extracurricular resume. At highly selective schools, extracurriculars are the biggest defining factor between applicants who otherwise share stellar grades and test scores.
Start thinking about what you'd want to major in and plan out extracurriculars that can help prepare you for that goal. If you want to study law, consider mock trial; if you want to study medicine, look for lab positions or shadowing opportunities. Think of where you might want to be senior year (achievements, leadership positions) and what'd you'd have to do now to get there. This is also the perfect time to start a club if your school doesn't offer one that interests you.
Beyond that, the best thing you can do grades-wise is keep up your GPA and expand to more rigorous courses (i.e. APs) junior and senior year.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.
It's great to get an early start! I've attended admission sessions of top colleges (Duke, MIT, Harvard, etc..). You can definitely attend these sessions, most are virtual. Simply visit the universities website to see the admission sessions that are available. It's a great way to learn more about what they are looking for. Top universities expect you to have a high GPA such as yours, however so many students that apply have high GPAs. You need to look for ways to stand out, they want to know what you are passionate about? How you impact those around you and your community? When you choose to volunteer and join a club, they want to see a theme. For example, if someone is passionate about medicine, joining HOSA (if available), interning in a hospital, medical research, etc.. goes a long way in your college application. You may not know what you would like to major in, however purse what interest you, discover and be curious.
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