There are a number of college admissions myths which needs to be uncovered earlier than you apply. These myths usually scare sure college students from making use of to one of the best faculties. By no means restrict your self from making use of to high faculties since you consider these items:
(10) Candidates are pre-screened.
Whether or not utilizing the widespread software or a school-specific software, college admission places of work have sufficient employees members to learn your total software. In any case, you pay an software price for a cause and faculties need to be sure to get your honest probability. Nonetheless, in case your software is incomplete or lacking essential components (essays, transcripts, or dietary supplements) this may clarify why it’s rejected, or pre-screened out, earlier than it reaches the complete committee.
(9) It’s essential to select your main and persist with it.
Once you apply to college, admissions officers know your main is sure to alter. In truth, many admissions places of work have reported that almost all of their college students change their main by the top of their freshman yr. Don’t fret about selecting your main. Decide a division or main the place you may have a real curiosity, and be open-minded to altering it when you’re enrolled.
(8) It’s essential to apply early choice or early motion.
Sure, making use of early choice or early motion reveals a pupil is dedicated to a specific college. However you do not need to use early to be accepted, even to high faculties. In truth, when you’re deferred within the early choice or early software spherical, your software goes proper again into the common pool and might be re-evaluated once more.
(7) Faculties have a sure profile of the “good” pupil.
Whereas faculties attempt to confess college students who will match into their college, there’s merely no means for a college to foretell whether or not a pupil might be glad or whether or not they may truly succeed at their college. Because of this faculties do not set a specific admissions profile for the “good” pupil personal statement for colleges.
(6) Ivy League faculties do not give scholarships.
Though Ivy League faculties say they solely allocate “need-based” scholarships, there is no doubt that sure faculties problem different grants and fellowships based mostly on different standards. When you’re a high athlete, recruit or a nationwide benefit scholar, an Ivy League college will exit of its method to be sure to can afford their college.
(5) Worldwide college students do not obtain scholarships or loans.
Extra faculties need to diversify their pupil physique with worldwide college students; main banks and monetary establishments provide the identical monetary alternatives for worldwide college students as they do American candidates. Scholarships and fellowships can be found for worldwide college students.
(4) It’s best to pad your resume with extracurricular actions.
Each admissions officer is a human being. Think about that. Functions aren’t accepted or rejected by a pc. So when filling out this part of the widespread app, know that admissions places of work can (and do) spot superfluous extracurricular actions. Additional, they’ll definitely inform whether or not you added an extracurricular as a result of you may have a real curiosity or as a result of it “seems good” in your resume.
(3) Suggestions do not matter.
Nice suggestions are important. You can’t count on to be admitted merely with excessive scores and nice grades. If an admissions officer sees a perfunctory or suspicious advice, it should set off a crimson flag. Backside line: select the recommender who is aware of you finest and ensure they know the place you are making use of and what your {qualifications} are.
(2) There is a GPA Lower-Off.
Faculties typically haven’t got a GPA cut-off. The rationale admissions places of work haven’t got a GPA “cut-off” is as a result of college students come from all kinds of various excessive faculties with various curriculums and grade buildings. Some college students attend public faculties, others non-public faculties the place the GPA ranges might be wider or narrower. Additional, there was a lot dialogue about grade inflation, and faculties do know what specific excessive faculties are likely to have larger GPAs than others. Whether or not that is so-called grade inflation or not, the colleges have an thought of what faculties have a extra aggressive curriculum, together with extra AP, IB and honors programs. Pay attention to your GPA and clarify discrepancies in your transcript.
(1) There’s all the time an SAT/ACT Lower-Off.
Some state faculties do have a cut-off for SAT/ACT scores. However the majority of American Universities don’t. So hold working in your check scores however do not worry the legendary cut-off.
In case your SAT scores or ACT scores aren’t as excessive as you would like them to be, you may enhance your rating with check prep and admissions counseling.
Hope these admissions myths have been answered.