What Your Student Needs for the Back-To-School Season

The summer has come to a close, and the back-to-school season now approaches. As high school students and their families gear up for another academic year, new trials, tribulations, challenges, and opportunities will come and go. However, for students near the end of their high school career, the coming season will be crucial for their education, especially if they aim to apply to the top colleges and universities in the United States. From planning extracurricular activities to preparing for standardized tests and college applications, here’s our comprehensive list of everything your student needs for a successful back-to-school season. 

Plan Your Extracurricular Activities

One of the most important sections of a college application—extracurricular activities offer students much more than things to do outside of their classes. Extracurriculars build out a student’s activities list on their college applications. Admissions officers at the top universities look very closely at the activities section to see what students do in their spare time, how they advance in their fields, and what level of dedication they have for their chosen major. 

A well-rounded yet focused list of extracurricular activities shows a student’s passion, determination, and initiative outside of the classroom. And it’s these traits that make a good impression on college admissions officers. 

For the best start to a student’s academic semester, it’s recommended that students get involved early in extracurricular activities. Whether it’s joining a robotics club, starting a debate team, or getting involved with community service and outreach, finding roles that align with a student’s interests is key. So, reach out to your teachers and counselors, learn about what your school offers, and consider joining clubs, organizations, and competitions outside of your school to broaden your horizons. 

Seek Out Leadership Opportunities

In the same vein as planning out extracurricular activities, students should especially seek out leadership roles wherever they can. Leadership roles and positions that foster leadership skills are what make the biggest impression on college admissions officers. These officers at the top US colleges aren’t just looking for students who have good grades; they are looking for students who can grow into leaders in their field and contribute something unique to their student body. 

Taking the initiative in your activities and finding ways to emerge as a leader will be a big boon in a student’s college application. Examples include creating a club, conducting a personal project, or taking up a role in student government. 

These roles not only look impressive on an application, but they also help students develop other essential skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. Being able to demonstrate these traits on a college application through your extracurricular list helps increase your chances of acceptance. 

Prepare for Your Classes and Standardized Tests

Even though admissions officers at the top schools employ holistic review and take every part of a student’s application into consideration, maintaining good grades and high test scores are still paramount. Schools often have a threshold for which students will be considered for acceptance based on these scores. As the new year begins, students should plan their courses carefully to maintain good performance. 

To prepare for your classes, gather any necessary supplies, including textbooks, notebooks, and stationery, but also be sure to review each of your classes’ syllabuses. The syllabus will have all the key dates, goals, and expectations listed within, so students can schedule their days, plan their study sessions, and stay organized. Being disorganized and chaotic vastly decreases cognitive focus, so stay on top of your tasks and become a good time manager in addition to a top-performing student. 

For standardized tests, even if students are applying to a school that offers test-optional policies, our Former Admissions Officers at InGenius Prep still recommend that students study for, take, and include their standardized tests with their college applications. Students only stand to benefit from having high test scores, so take advantage and aim for the highest scores possible. 

InGenius Prep’s test prep guides can also help students ace their SAT/ACTs and reach the top percentile of test takers.

Get Ready for College Applications

The college application process can be nerve-wracking. For many, it often comes sooner than expected, but preparation is key. Here’s how students and parents can get ahead of the curve and successfully navigate the admissions process. 

Research Colleges 

Before you can plan out your applications, it’s best practice to know which school you’re applying to. Each school has its own metrics, statistics and expectations of its applicants. Ideally, every application a student creates should be tailor-made for each school. Even more ideal, students will have a robust list of schools of varying levels of selectivity to apply to. To learn more about school lists, see our blog “School List Advice from a Former Admissions Officer.”

Choose How You’ll Apply

There’s more than one way to apply for a school. While Regular Decision is the most popular mode of application each year, other methods exist too, such as Early Decision. These alternate methods can often increase a student’s chances of acceptance, especially Early decision, which are the first applications that are reviewed and show a student’s dedication to a school. However, each method also has its drawbacks. 

To learn more about Early Decision in our blog “Important Early Decision Pros and Cons You Need to Know.”

Building a Strong Application

Crafting a stand-out college application is easier said than done. Hundreds of thousands of students apply to the top US colleges every year, and only a small fraction of them get the acceptance letter. But with some guidance, students can vastly increase their odds and become prime candidates for their dream schools. Write a compelling personal statement, build a robust list of extracurricular activities, get letters of recommendation from the teachers and professionals you’ve worked closest with, and consider passion projects and research projects to further enhance your candidacy. 

Learn How to Perfect Your College Applications With InGenius Prep

There’s a lot to learn about building a college application, and for students just starting their academic semester, there’s plenty on their plate already. Bypass the stresses and guesswork of the college application process with InGenius Prep. 

Our team of Former Admissions Officers from top US schools like Yale and Harvard University are already experts in college applications because they were the ones reading them! Our programs pair students with a team of advisors to help them build the perfect application while giving them the time to maintain their grades, activities, and personal projects. 

Schedule a free consultation call today to plan your college success.