Tips to Help You Get Into College (part 3)

Continuing from Tips to Help You Get Into College (part 2), we have tips 5 and 6 today. Last time I discussed living life and finding something to represent you. Today I will focus on tests and college visits. These are just as important as grades, extra curreculars, living life, and finding something to represent you (tips from previous posts).

Image By Nikolay Georgiev

5. Tests - It is common knowledge that it is important to score well on standardized tests for college, but which tests are the most important? - In my humble, objective opinion the SAT IIs are the most important. They are like a final that is the same for everyone in the world, so everyone is graded on the same scale. No two schools teach or grade material exactly the same way, so SAT IIs provide a way to grade everyone in a fair way. Unfortunately, more and more school are eliminating their requirements for SAT IIs, most notably the University of California schools. Then there are AP tests, which are also very useful in much the same way as SAT II tests. They cover some subjects that the SAT II does not and are more comprehensive (they have a free response portion). Next is the ACT. This tests on learnt knowledge and is similar to a regular test in school. You do well on this test if you know the material. Lastly, and my LEAST favorite is the SAT. This test is absolutely worthless and does nothing. It is called a "reasoning test" and tests on how well you can take a test. It is possible for an otherwise stupid person (for lack of a better word) to score higher than a straight A student. This test ruins the lives of almost all American teenagers. How is that fair? This test only adds stress to the lives of teenagers and the sad part is that the SAT was designed to ruin their lives.

6. College Visits - Too many people go to or apply to a college just because of the name. That is the wrong reason to attend a university. You want to go to a school because it is the best that you could attend that focuses on your interests. It does not help you in the long run to attend Harvard for Hotel Administration, even though Harvard is the best University in the world. If your interest lies in Hotel Administration, then you would be better off applying to Cornell or even University of Las Vegas. They are the best in this particular field. Additionally, it is important to get a feel for the campus and the surrounding area. Students are going to spend four years of their lives attending the school, so they had better like the feel of it. Visiting colleges is vital to get to know the area and make the best choice regarding your education. This is one of the most overlooked parts of applying to college, DO NOT ignore this.

To continue and read part 4, please click here.

To read part 1 click here
To read part 2 click here