PREMIUM ESSAY

Top 10 Tips from Successful College Students

So you want to be a student at university like Harvard or Stanford? Getting there begins with dedication and focus now. Here is a list of ten must-know tips collected from real students at Harvard University and Stanford University. What they say may surprise you.

1. 1. Do what you love

   Writing a good entrance essay to an elite institution is much easier if you have developed a genuine intellectual passion. If you have been studying what you love and engaging fully with your high school experience, it will show up in your application and in your writing. The best thing you can do for yourself is to really truly devote yourself to a subject.

2. 2. Study hard, but don't overstress

   Yes, of course you need to study. We all studied very hard in high school. However, we cannot tell you how many of our friends get to an elite university and have a complete breakdown because they developed a habit of overstressing in high school. Knowing how to work hard is important. But knowing when to pull back from the desk and go out with your friends will make you healthier, happier, and more successful in the long run.

3. 3. Read for fun outside of class

   The books that you read on your own are the ones that you will remember years from now. From these readings will come the develop of genuine intellectual passion. Further, students who read outside of class are just more interesting than their duller counterparts. Your range of exposure to different ideas will be begin to matter more and more as you continue on your path of elite education.

4. 4. Develop hobbies

   When you get into an elite institution like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stanford, you will suddenly be with the nations best and the brightest. You will be competing with the smartest student from each high school. Because everyone is so smart, being smart will no longer make you special. That loss of identity can shatter kids when they enter elite universities. We suggest that you start developing non-academic hobbies now. Play sports. Get into the Arts. Collect music. Do something! It will be much easier for you to connect with other people when you arrive at Harvard or Stanford.

5. 5. Use summer breaks to build your resume

   Use your summer experience to volunteer, get work experience, lead a group, do research, travel, or develop a sport or art. At the very least, use the summer to read some heavy duty college-level books. But do something! By using your summer to the max, you can get head and shoulders about your peers come application time.

6. 6. Take care of your friends

   Even as some of us approach graduation at Stanford and Harvard, Some of our closest friends are those we met in high school. There is nothing like the virtually 24/hr contact that you have with your high school friends. They will form the base of your network as you progress through university and move on to your elite career.

7. 7. Get your parents involved

   Some elite universities like MIT actually require a recommendation from your parents! Your parents should know what's going on with you academically and socially. They should definitely be involved in your application process to an elite university. If your parents do not feel qualified to help, make sure that you get guidance from a councilor or other adult who has gone through the process.

8. 8. College Counselors: Help or a Hindrance?

   Some high schools have great college counselors. But many have mediocre ones. Introduce yourself to your college counselor and let them know about the elite universities to which you are applying. If they are supportive and willing to help, use their guidance. But if they are less supportive, do not allow them to come between you and admission to your elite university.

9. 9. Find other students heading in the same direction

   Not everyone is aiming for an elite university. Find other people who have similar goals and study habits and keep them close. Going through the application process with others can help you stay on schedule and reduce your stress load.

10. 10. Take advantage of everything your high school offers

    This is serious. College admissions at elite universities like Harvard and Yale are looking for students who have taken advantage of everything that their school offers. If your school offers AP classes, you should take them. If your school offers the IB (International Baccalaureate) classes, you should take them. If your school does not offer these things, DON'T WORRY. It will not hurt you in the eyes of an admissions counselor. The only thing that could hurt you is if you don't take advantage of all the opportunities that your school does, in fact, offer.