- Give great performances in your favorite academic subjects.
- Earn the respect of your teachers and counselors.
- Find subjects or ideas that fascinate you and take steps to learn more about them.
- Make an impact doing activities you enjoy. Don’t do anything “because it will look good on my college application.”
- Have real interests—they make you interesting.
- Be yourself. Get comfortable in your own skin.
- Take charge of your education and your college search. Don’t let anybody care about your future more than you do.
- Choose colleges that fit you.
- Be genuinely excited about the opportunity to go to college, regardless of a school’s name-brand cache.
- Present yourself honestly in your applications and essays.