Be In The Top Ten Percent Of Your Class

While it would be nice if you are the valedictorian or salutatorian, being in the top ten percent is passable or even desirable when compared to other paths. No top college would prefer a valedictorian who spent all of his or her time grade-grubbing and studying for the SATs when compared to the passionate kid who maybe got a B every once in a while, but who seems like she really understands her calling and contributes to the lives of those around her.

Take A Challenging Course Load

If your school offers Advanced Placement or Honors classes, it is important that you take as many of them as you are able to without burning yourself out. It is also possible at some schools to take classes from local colleges for high school credit. Some high schools even offer an Independent Study option for the very motivated student. Check out the options at your school!

Also, if your school does not offer classes that are as challenging as you need, it is still possible for you to self-study Advanced Placement courses and then sign up for the test on your own. Check out The College Board to see how.

Have Meaningful Extracurriculars As Opposed To A laundry list Of Activities

Top Colleges do not like to see that you have done every activity possible, but rather that you have carried one activity very far. They would rather you reach state or national level in an activity you love than be the president or treasurer of ten largely inactive clubs you don’t even care about. As evidence of this, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology application now features only five lines in which to list extracurriculars.

Be Well-Lopsided

Gone are the days when colleges looked for well-rounded applicants; now it’s all about having a well-rounded class. This goes hand-in-hand with choosing only a few extracurriculars that you are passionate and then sticking with them to the highest levels possible.

Get To Know Your Teachers

Sit in the backwards T of the class (the front row and the middle aisle), let your teacher know your thoughts when something from class interests you more than usual, and ask your teacher’s advice on your work for his or her class or even other topics in your life. Make sure your teachers know you appreciate them, and always show respect by turning your work in on time and putting in your best effort. Your teacher needs to see that you are a responsible, good person so that, when the time comes, he or she will write you a wonderful recommendation.

Prepare For Standardized Tests

Whether you are taking the SAT or the ACT, it is wise to take practice tests. This is both to familiarize yourself with the format of the test, and also to pinpoint your weaknesses in order to optimize your score on the real thing.

Apply Early Decision

Almost all colleges take into account the great interest in their school that applying to a binding Early Decision program shows.

Fill Up Your Summers

Whether you decide to pick up more hours at work, volunteer in another country, or get a great internship, top colleges like to see that you haven’t just spent your summer lying around by the pool and sipping lemonade while the world moves on around you.

Volunteer

Top colleges love to see that you contribute to your community, and there are myriad ways to do so according to your own unique talents. Tutoring kids in topics you excel in, helping out at an animal rescue center, volunteering at a children’s hospital? Though the options far exceed what I’ve mentioned, all of these things will look great to colleges, and more importantly, they will help you to see the big picture in life and bring maturity to your decisions.

Have fun!

Last, but not least, top colleges don’t want kids who’ve lived their entire lives just to impress a future admissions committee. Follow your passions, keep busy, and work your hardest. These three simple things are the most important ingredients for any stellar college applicant, but they are also the most important ingredients for a great human being.