GAME ON! It’s Time to Strategize Your College Admissions

By Hubert Ho | Head of Admissions Consulting Services, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

ALMOST ALL CLASS 2023 applications are closed last week. Students who are studying in Junior Year (Grade 11 or Year 12) should start to think about your unique story for the college applications. It is for sure that you would like to aim high for applying some selective colleges. There are several things that you need to consider when thinking of your own admissions strategy.

Academic Advantages

You will need to consider your own GPA (i.e. your in-school academics) and standardized test scores. Most of your competitors to selective colleges are having great GPA above 3.7 and almost perfect standardized test scores. You can also check the average GPA and test scores from the college’s past record. You shouldn’t pick some colleges that are definitely your long shot.

Extra-curricular Resume

You should also think about your extra-curricular records from Grade 9 to present. You should have some activities that can help to shine your attributes, e.g. leadership. If you have those activities, you should try to have about how those shape your current status or personality. They will be your bullets.

Personality

Never try to just imagine that you are suitable for certain colleges. You will need to do a thorough research on every target college. If you are unable to pay a visit personally, you should also try your best to browse through their website and look into details about the curriculum of your target majors. Every college will have her own personality and characteristics and make sure you know about it.

If you are a junior student and not having the above contents, does it mean that you are unable to make the selective colleges as your target? The answer is definitely NO! Everyone should have a unique story to present to the adcom. It is just a matter that whether you know how to package your own story and make it a stunning and unforgettable one. There are so many ways to escalate your profile to the level that can give a good impression to those selective colleges. Don’t think and act now. Find help and talk to us, your trustworthy admissions partner, we can provide you with creative solutions and ideas on your pathway to successful college applications!

Mr. Hubert Ho
Head of Admissions Consulting Services, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Associate Member of IECA, Member of NACAC and AEE
MCom (Finance), UNSW
BCom (Management & Marketing), University of Wollongong

• 10 years+ of experience in education industry
• Proven track record helping students gain admission to US prestigious colleges including Yale University, Stanford University, Cornell University, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, New York University, Boston University