It’s your senior year of high school, and the future looks wide open. Perusing pamphlets for the country’s colleges and universities, you feel a sense of overwhelming potential. You may be an Ivy-leaguer with your heart set on a humanities degree. Perhaps you’re a fledgling tech entrepreneur with your eyes on a competitive STEM program. Maybe you’ll be a burgeoning historian, philosopher, business magnate…
There’s only one thing standing in between you and realizing those lofty aims: Your university application. Most university admissions officers look at applications holistically – that is to say, they evaluate your grades alongside personal attributes, soft skills, extracurricular drive, etc. Therefore, crafting a winning application to your dream program involves putting your best foot forward on several fronts.
Here’s how to do it.
Set Aside Time for Your Personal Statement
While your grades demonstrate what you’re capable of academically, a personal statement tells admissions officers who you are as a person. It’s a narrative that explains your proclivities, interests, mindset and personal journey to date. And it’s essential for admissions officers as they accept students based on their fit for the university.
Do not rush this step. Take your time with it. Read the instructions carefully, making detailed notes of requirements, prompts, word limits, etc. Rather than bogging your essay down in physical details about where you volunteered or who you mentored with (those details come into play elsewhere on the application), focus on how those experiences shaped your development and perspective.
Critically, write the personal statement well in advance of submission, which will give you time to edit and revise the essay before sending it away.
Elevate Your Marks with Online Upgrade Courses
Yes, admissions officers indeed evaluate applications holistically. However, they place a premium on academic achievement, especially in competitive universities. There’s no escaping it: To enter a good university, you need good grades.
Now is your last chance to amend any less-than-ideal grades blemishing your transcript. Find a quality online high school, like Ontario eSecondary School, and enrol in their upgrade courses. Upgrade classes are essentially fast-tracked versions intended for students who have previously completed said course. At the end of an upgrade course, the higher of your two marks will appear on your official transcript. As such, upgrade courses are a fantastic opportunity to spruce up your academic standing.
In cases where even a tiny fraction of a grade point can decide your fate, elevating marks through upgrade courses can make a world of difference.
Get Involved with Extracurriculars
A robust extracurricular CV demonstrates to admissions officers that:
- You are motivated
- Your interests and curiosities are varied
- You work well with others
- And in some cases, you may demonstrate leadership skills.
If you haven’t participated in many extracurricular activities in your high school tenure, now is the time to change that. Enrol in a few of your high school’s clubs or teams. Get involved with local charities or causes. Better yet, take the initiative to form your own cause, club, team or personal business. This self-starting approach to extracurriculars will seem very attractive to admissions officers.
Get a Job
“Get a job” sounds like something a grumpy parent would tell you when you’ve sat on the couch all day. However, the idea has merit!
Employment looks good on a university application. It shows admissions officers that you can apply your skills in the real world. It also demonstrates that you aren’t averse to hard work. Luckily, the job doesn’t have to be anything too intense (it shouldn’t detract from your studies); a part-time retail or service position should do the trick. As a bonus, you get some extra “walking around money” to enjoy this summer, and you can fast-track a potential letter of recommendation from your superior.
Explore Mentorship Programs in Your Area
Lastly, consider a mentorship program. Across the country, mentorship programs connect motivated high school students with experienced industry professionals who can guide and coach them.
Not only do mentorships arm you with applied knowledge for the real world, but they also elevate a university application by (once again) demonstrating a can-do attitude. Like employment, mentorships are also a fantastic way to get a non-academic reference letter for your application. Research mentorship programs in your area to get the ball rolling.
Hopefully, these five tips help you land a spot at your dream university. Put in the hard work, cast a wide net, and wait for the acceptances to roll in!