So much of the anxiety surrounding college admissions today comes from the fear of making a mistake. Families worry that if a student deviates ever so slightly from the perfect college admissions regimen, they’ll be overtaken by students who had the foresight or the expert advice to avoid making the same mistake.
But college admissions doesn’t work like that. There are no magic formulas, which means that there are few tiny strategic errors to be made. Regardless of where you want to go to college, just get the basics right.
1. Schedule regular appointments with your counselor to discuss college planning.
2. Visit the websites of the colleges that interest you and take note of their admissions requirements, like the recommended coursework and required standardized tests.
3. Take the most challenging course load you can handle without regularly sacrificing sleep or sanity.
4. Choose activities outside of class that you enjoy. Work hard to make an impact and leave a legacy.
5. Look for the right colleges. Have faith that your work ethic and character are what are ultimately going to make you successful, not the relative prestige of the college you attend.
Of course, there are other decisions to make. Are you going to prepare for the SAT/ACT and, if so, how? Should you get a math tutor? Should you take AP chemistry, AP US history, or both? Should you stick with volleyball or leave it behind to focus on writing for the newspaper?
Decisions like those are important because they’re yours—you’re deciding what to learn and how to spend your time. But they’re not going to make or break your college planning. All you have to do to avoid major mistakes is get the basics right.