Competition Intensifies Among College Hopefuls
Having a college degree is more important than ever in today's world of work. Yet, the competition among college hopefuls is fierce, leaving many to wonder what it will take to stand out in the college admission process. In her new book, One-Hour College Application Essay, Jan Melnik shares strategies to help college hopefuls get noticed and earn acceptance to the school of their choice.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) September 25, 2007 -- Competition between college applicants is heating up and igniting college hopefuls to apply to more schools than ever to ensure they land admission. In 2005, for instance, 17 percent of applicants applied to seven or more colleges, up from merely 2 percent in 1967, according to a UCLA survey.
"The college admission process can be extremely competitive. It is not uncommon for students to apply to eight, ten, or even more schools," says Jan Melnik, author of the newly released book One-Hour College Application Essay.
Many educators believe competition has intensified because the percentage of students graduating from high school continues to increase each year. In fact, the number of graduating high school seniors will continue to rise until it reaches 3.3 million in 2011, according to the U.S. Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics.
Not only are more students graduating, more hope to take their education to the next level. Today more than 60 percent of graduating high school seniors expects to go to college, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
As the competition builds, many students wonder just how many schools they should apply to so that they win admittance to at least one school of their choice. Based on her discussions with college admissions professionals, Melnik recommends that students:
| | - devote the majority of their applications (perhaps two to five) to target schools.
- apply to several reach schools.
- submit one or two applications to colleges that are considered safety schools.
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Melnik warns that while applying to several schools is a savvy strategy, it should not hinder a student's ability to apply to schools that suit them best or the quality of their application packages.
"What is most important is to focus on finding the school that is best for you with respect to the academic program, environment, rigor of curriculum, student-to-facility ratio, opportunities for extracurricular programs, study-abroad opportunities, and a handful of other factors that are important to weigh."
One-Hour College Application Essay is available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST). To speak with the author, contact Natalie Ostrom.
JIST, America's Career Publisher, is the leading publisher of job search, career, occupational information, education, life skills and character education books, workbooks, assessments, videos and software.
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