Published: July 15, 2007 05:30 pm      

EDUCATION: Experts say students should prepare now to get into the school of their choice

Rather than take it easy during the summer, now is the time college-bound high schoolers should pad their resumes, fine-tune their writing skills and take other steps to get into their school of choice, experts say.

From incoming ninth-graders upward, there is something young adults can do almost daily to help ensure entry into college, according to Reecy Aresty, founder and president of College Assistance Inc. out of Boca Raton, Fla.

Starting the process early is vital because of the increasingly competitive admissions process, he said. Ivy League schools, for example, accepted an average 13.33 percent of applicants for the class of 2011, according to Hernandez Consulting, so prospective freshmen need any edge they can get.

“The problem is sameness,” Aresty said. “It’s like a loaf of bread — why pick slice five over slice 12?”

Incoming ninth-graders can begin setting themselves apart by performing community service. Especially if that work is done in a field in which the student might want to work some day, having that experience will hold more weight on an application than a part-time job, he said.

“Working only shows they can make extra money,” he said.

Freshmen-to-be should also think about what clubs they want to join in high school. Rather than spreading themselves out over five or six, Aresty advises students to focus on a couple groups to which they can devote themselves, perhaps earning leadership positions.

To help enhance those English SAT scores, incoming freshmen and sophomores should learn five new words a week. He also suggests reading “something other than a comic book” nightly, an idea also offered by Mike Konopski, dean of enrollment management at Niagara University.

“You will do a ton of reading in college, so you better get used to it,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Those students entering the 10th and 11th grades should begin visiting colleges, Aresty said — both to get familiar with the campus and to eliminate schools from their lists. While at the school, students should make an effort to meet department chairpeople and other heads of the college.

“It impresses them, so it’s easy to arrange,” he said. “When (the student’s) application comes in, they can certainly put a face on it.”

Konopski recommends seeing as many schools as possible.

“If you are fairly undecided about the school you’d like to attend, visit a variety: Large vs. small, private vs. public, religious affiliated vs. independent (nonsectarian), small town vs. large city,” he said. “These contrasts will likely help you decide the setting you prefer.”

If visits aren’t feasible, a prospective student can stay in touch through e-mail lists, phone calls or letters — anything to make oneself known, Aresty said. School Web sites are another good source of information, Konopski said.

Two other ways to enhance the odds are to work on essay writing and take as many honors and Advanced Placement courses as possible, Aresty said. A good essay stands out more than anything else on the application, he said, while the “challenge perceived” by high-level classes counts more than the grade itself.

“They have to challenge themselves along the way,” he said. “A ‘B’ in an honors class is better than an ‘A’ in a regular class.”

When application time comes, it would help to have recommendation letters already on hand, Konopski said — which means the time to pick people to write them is now. Among the people he recommends are teachers, employers, coaches and clergy.

“They are much more likely to write an insightful, in-depth recommendation if they have plenty of time to do it,” he said.

Most anything a prospective college student does should be a means toward making themselves attractive to the school of their choice, Aresty said.

“We don’t want it to come down to the numbers, because it is a numbers game,” he said.

Contact reporter Paul Laneat 282-2311, ext. 2251.