Students get into their dream schools all the time, and you may wonder whether you can tap into your top choice, too. 

But what exactly is a dream college? How do you get in? We will examine what dream school really means and how to get into your dream college. Note: Your “dream school” might not be what you think. If you have a particular school you think you have to get into, you will not want to miss out on the rest of this article.

What “Dream School” Really Means

You might think “dream school” only refers to Ivy League schools. However, that is not true. Dream school depends on the individual — a dream school for one student may be the local state university, while another student’s dream school might be an Ivy League institution. Ultimately, the dream school should embody fit vs. prestige. Your dream school should be the right fit for you, not necessarily the most prestigious college you can attend.

Your “dream school” should also have the right academic, social, and financial alignment for you, whether you are interested in majoring in English or biology and social interests, or whether you are interested in sororities or fraternities or prefer to join intramural sports. 

Have More than One Dream School

Did you know it is a good idea to have more than one dream school? After all, who says you can have only one? After all, you might not get into the top school on your list, so consider expanding your dream school list to several schools. 

You do not want to feel completely unmoored if you do not get into your first-choice institution. Furthermore, you are likely to have a great experience at several colleges. It is crazy to assume you will have just one positive experience at one college.

Clarify Your Priorities

What are your must-haves for college? When college planning, it is important to consider all of your priorities before you start rounding up your choices. For example, you will want to consider major/program quality and career outcomes (of course), but other factors, such as location, size, and other, more subjective measures, such as the campus culture. 

Make a list of priorities or must-haves — whatever you plan to call them — to help you understand what colleges and universities make sense for you and your situation.

Research Strategically 

You will want to look beyond the brochure when transitioning between high school and college. Use the Common Data Set, Naviance, the College Scorecard, and Campus to Career Crossroads, to do your initial college roundup. Learn deeply about the school, including student support, outcomes, and faculty access. Learn as many numbers as you can to ensure you are doing the outcomes-and-real-numbers legwork during the admissions cycle. 

Connect with alumni and current students if you know any in your area. They can give you an honest view of colleges and universities — much more so than what you will see through the marketing-filtered admissions official visit. Do not forget to ask them what they would like to change about the institution, and do that on college visits, too. It will help give you a sense of any red flags.

Also, do not forget to ask about their deeper, positive experiences. Knowing these can help you infuse deeper meaning into your application.

Build a Standout Academic and Extracurricular Profile 

How to get into your dream college requires building a standout academic and extracurricular profile. In the past, you would try to join every club and organization in your high school and rise in leadership positions throughout each one. It is not the same anymore. Colleges and universities are looking for deep connection and meaningful involvement. 

For example, a student getting involved in a mentorship program for students created after a school shooting and impacting dozens of students is a great example of an extracurricular involvement, rather than being involved in Key Club, football, soccer, track, the school newspaper, the yearbook, and three other activities. See the difference? You want to get involved in activities that tell a story. Focus on depth over breadth, leadership and initiative, and linking your activities to your intended major or values.

Okay, now what about academics? Of course, you will need to focus on excellent course choices, rigor (including AP/IB, honors courses), rigor, and test scores. But do you have to have the best of the best courses, test scores, and large amounts of AP classes? Maybe not, because you will have more than one dream school, and the right one will align with your academic profile.

It is important to note that many colleges and universities insist there is no “formula” for gaining admission to a particular institution. Admission committees want to see:

• Community involvement
• Leadership
• Distinction in extracurricular activities
• Personal qualities
• Strength of character
• Ability to overcome adversity

As you can see, you need to showcase your story.

Craft an Application that Reflects You 

It is essential that you create an application that reflects your personality, interests, hopes, and dreams. How do you do that, without making college application mistakes? Let’s take a look.

• Common App essays: You will want to infuse an authentic voice into your essays, rather than dutifully recapping your resume (how boring!). You want the most compelling essays possible that capture your voice, meaning, and life mission. Apply early and make your application sparkle. 
• Supplemental essays: You need to answer the question, “Why this college?” in a unique way. I have seen a large variety of “rah-rah” essays explaining that a particular college is an applicant’s “dream school.” Supplemental essays generally always look the same, until we help applicants. Your goal is to make those supplementals compelling and interesting, different from everyone else’s.

• Letters of recommendation: Letters of recommendation typically look similar as well because people aren’t trained to write amazing, incredible letters that make colleges go, “Oh, my gosh! I have to have this student at this college.” Challenge your letter writers to make them amazing.

Visit Your Possible Dream College

Why did we say “possible” here? 

Well, you do not actually know if it is your dream college unless you visit. Many students assume they want to attend a particular college based on feedback from others or from marketing from the institution. But unless you visit, you will not know for sure whether you feel connected with others on campus and whether or not it is a good fit. 

Talk to People on Campus

While you are there, talk to people on campus — students, professors, employees, everyone! Ask them what they like about the campus, the vibe, the other people they know on campus, the classes, the food, and more. No question is too silly, especially if you are fact-finding on campus. 

Here is a quick list:

• What do you like most about going to school here?
• What would you change if you could?
• How supportive are the professors and advisors?
• How easy is it to get help if you’re struggling in a class?
• What’s dorm life like during the regular school year?
• How’s the food when everything is fully open?
• Are most students happy here?
• What do people do on weekends or for fun?
• How hard is it to get the classes you need during registration?
• Is it easy to make friends and get involved on campus?

Summer Programs

Summer programs offer many students a great opportunity to get to know a campus and the professors who teach there. If you are ready to really get to know a campus, consider taking a summer class to get the lay of the land. Here is what you can learn:

• Teaching quality and professor accessibility
• Class structure and academic expectations
• Availability of tutoring and advising
• Access to libraries and study spaces
• Functionality of housing and dining services
• Efficiency of administrative systems (registration, billing, etc.)
• Campus layout and navigation
• General vibe and campus culture, even if it’s summer and quieter on campus
• Student support and responsiveness
• A preview of campus life, just in a slower season

Learn how to write an application essay for a summer program.

Check that the School Has Your Major

This seems like a given, but it is important to ensure that the school you are considering has your major. If they do not, you may need to move on to a different dream school. Your dream school should have the major you are thinking of and potential other majors you might switch to later.

Also, do not forget to look at the academic requirements/prerequisites in high school. What do you need to take in high school to prepare for that particular institution?

Apply Strategically

First, create a balanced college list, meaning you create a reach, target, and safety school list. What exactly do these mean? Let’s take a look at how to get into college using this list:

• Reach: A reach school is just like it sounds — a school that may be “reach” to get into. Your test scores and GPA may be below the typical school profile, for example. 

• Target: A target school fits your overall profile. For example, if a particular school admits students who have a 30 ACT/1360 SAT, and you have that exact score, that would be a target school.

• Safety: A safety school is also just like it sounds. It is a school that you should easily get into based on your profile and the school’s profile. 

Your “dream” should include multiple schools: a mix of reach, target, and safety schools. There is no exact number you should shoot for, but it’s a good idea to limit that list. Handling a list of twenty schools is not exactly fun!

Furthermore, it is important to apply Early Action or Early Decision, because admissions offices usually admit more students from these pools than the regular pool.

The Mindset Advantage

One of the most important things you can do is to control your mindset when you are working through the application and college decision process and narrowing down your college list.

Confidence and Perspective

First, imagine what you will do if you do not get into your dream college. What will you do? The healthiest thing you can do is to move on to the next college. Reframe your definition of success. Your life, your potential, and what you have to offer is greater than one rejection from a college. Consider reframing the rejection as what was meant to be, that it was not the right match. 

Control What You Can Control

Your parents always said you can only control yourself, and this is never more important to understand than during the college search process. You cannot control what’s going on in the admissions office (like yield protection strategies), so make your application and profile the best it can be. Leave it all on the table and do your best — that is all you can do. Campus to Career Crossroads can help you identify where you can improve your application and make it shine.

Show Your Interest in Multiple Ways

Do not forget the power of human contact. It is easy to skip over the human component of your application in our digital age. But the more you do to reach out to the college, through your admissions counselor, the coaches on campus, alumni interviews, students, and everyone else you meet, the more you will make a genuine connection with the institution. 

Believe it or not, people on campus will notice that as well. You never know which opportunities may come your way when you make a genuine effort to get to know people on campus. At the very least, they will be able to tell whether you’re really interested, and that makes a huge difference.

Read more: Best Questions to Ask Admissions Counselors

Reframe Rejection

If you get rejected from your dream school, remember that it is likely for a very good reason. Admissions offices want to ensure you are a good match for the institution. If they do not feel you are, think of it this way: You may have just dodged a major bullet. For whatever reason, it may not be a good fit, whether academically, socially, or for another reason. Train yourself to believe this deeply, because it will serve you well moving forward. You will find the right dream school — it is just a matter of wading through others that may not be the right fit.

Identify the Right Dream Colleges

Yes, identify the “right” dream colleges — plural. There is not just one college that will fit our personalities, goals, and other characteristics. Many colleges will fit the bill, so remember that. Do not get stuck on one school, especially if it is a reach school. 

Remember, you can get in without stress, debt, or burnout. Contact Campus to Career Crossroads for everything you need to know about making your list and more.

FAQs

Still have questions about how to get into your dream college?  Check out the next questions.

What is the No. 1 hardest school to get into?

California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, publish a 3% acceptance rate. However, your dream school does not necessarily have to include these schools. 

What is the most popular dream school?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has moved to the top of many students’ lists, above Harvard University. To get the big picture of admission for the institution, in 2022, 21,588 first-time first-year men applied, and so did 12,179 women. Of that list, 661 men were admitted and 676 women were admitted.

How to deal with not getting into your dream school?

One of the best ways to deal with not getting into your dream school is to have several dream schools. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have more than one so you know you’re likely to land one of several across the gamut: reach, match, and safety schools? There’s no reason you cannot fall in love with your safety school! Ensure that you understand that not getting into your dream school does not say anything about you as a person, and it is really important to keep a rejection in perspective.