It seems like every year, the college admissions process becomes more and more difficult. With a growing number of students applying to top colleges each year, the admissions offices are forced to become increasingly selective in who they admit. This means that students have to be thoroughly prepared for the admissions process, and must do everything they can to set themselves apart from the rest of the applicant pool. One way to do that is by working with an admissions coach. If you’re unfamiliar, read on to find out what a college admissions coach does.
What does an admissions coach do?
A college admissions consultant can help you with the entire process of applying to college from start to finish. Your admissions coach can help you narrow down your list of schools, pick a major that matches your skills and interests, and prepare you for your interviews. Working with an experienced admissions professional will bolster the quality of all your application materials, including essays and letters of recommendation. Anything you submit to a school you’re applying to should be clean, polished, and meticulously edited.
It’s no secret that acceptance rates to the country’s elite universities are lower than they’ve ever been before. In this kind of competitive environment, you need to do everything you can to ensure you submit a unique, compelling, and thoughtfully crafted application. A consultant can highlight your strengths and downplay your weaknesses by developing a plan to showcase your outstanding qualities, raise your SAT or ACT scores, and deliver a dynamite personal essay.
Though your focus is probably going to be on putting together your applications, you need to start thinking about the financial side of attending college too. A college admissions coach can help you make a smart and comprehensive plan to pay for your education. They can help you understand the different types of student loans available, in addition to working with you to complete scholarship and grant applications.
What else can you do to make your college application stand out?
Your personal essay is the part of your application that is likely to sway any member of the selection committee who is on the fence. There is no one right way to approach writing a personal essay for a college application, but there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your essay stands out. Avoid generic topics, focus on specific examples that illustrate who you are as a person and what you’ll bring to the campus community. There are a lot of effective techniques for editing your own writing, but make sure you have another set of eyes proofread your essay before you submit it.
In some cases, you may be required to submit a portfolio of your own original work. This is common when applying to a program that needs to assess your degree of skill in disciplines like writing, painting, or photography. When putting together your portfolio, it’s important to be selective. Choose the strongest and most cohesive examples of your work. So many creators get caught up in trying to figure out what a school is looking for, they miss out on a golden opportunity to make a statement about their style and point of view.
There is no question that working with a college admissions coach in high school can be extremely beneficial. A good college admissions coach can assess your academic and extracurricular talents and identify the schools where you have the best chance to thrive. Their invaluable guidance will give you the advice you need to assemble a competitive application. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, working with a college admissions coach can be a worthwhile investment that will help you achieve your professional and academic goals.
