I am planning on applying to a school early action and my stats are higher than what they usually ask for. He is worried that they will think I am using their school as a safety.
My guidance counselor suggested that I am the admissions counselor from my region introudcting myself and giving him my GPA/scores/extracurriculars and expressing my interest in the school. He then wants me to finish the letter by saying something along the lines of “is there anything I can do to heighten my chances of admittance in the next few months?”
Do you guys think this is sucking up too much? Could it hurt my chances of getting in? I am not sure whether or not to trust my guidance counselor on this one…thoughts?
I don’t necessarily agree with the above topic. I don’t think the letter idea sounds much like sucking up; however, I will not be surprised if other students do the same. So maybe instead of buttering the admins up, do something that will set you apart from the rest. Something that will make them want to take you into their school and soon as possible!
"Colleges can figure out when top-flight students are using them as safety schools; these kids’ grades and SAT scores will be significantly better than those of the average student who enrolls. With less scholarship aid available at most places, some midtier schools are less willing to offer high-performing students merit money if they think it’s unlikely they’ll enroll, says Alex Bickford, senior manager of college finance at College Coach and a former financial-aid officer at Southern New Hampshire University.
So, if students want the college to try to lure them with merit money, they should visit the campus and show a genuine interest by contacting professors and alumni, he says."
[How</a> to Get Financial Aid - WSJ.com](<a href=“How to Get Financial Aid - WSJ”>How to Get Financial Aid - WSJ)
Don’t just say “I really want to go to your school”. Say why you want to go there. Did one of your parent’s go there? Are you interested in a specific program that they are well known for? Do you really want to live in Southern California, and they are the best school for your major in the area? Do you want to work for XYZ, and that company heavily recruits from that school?