When applying to university, there is much to consider. Not only do you have to think of what your child has accomplished in their young academic life thus far, but how those accomplishments can play to their advantage during the application process, and what qualities these schools will be looking for. Therefore, determining how your child can stand out to these universities will be key to getting them into whichever school they most want to attend.
Many graduates of R-MA have attended prestigious schools over the years, such as Harvard, Cornell, Duke, UCLA, and MIT, as well as several international universities. Here’s what you need to know about how they can stand out whilst applying to some of the world’s best schools.
Help Your Child Reach Their Academic Potential
For any student hoping to be accepted into a highly-ranked university, academic performance is of the utmost importance. Many of these schools will be more selective depending on applicants’ grades, and they may also look for students with strong scores on placement tests or SATs.
Often, the key to helping your child perform to their fullest potential is providing them with the right structure and support system to succeed. At R-MA, for instance, we emphasize a healthy mix of diverse classes with rigor and schedule, designed to help students thrive. We also provide tutorial sessions to help them improve their performance in specific subjects.
A university counselor can also be a tremendous source of support for students looking to be accepted to top colleges, providing them with invaluable advice and guidance. R-MA’s College Counseling program involves one-on-one college planning with a trained counselor beginning in the 9th grade, ensuring students get the personalized support they need to prepare winning applications.
Taking Part in Community Service at a Prep School Could Also Be Beneficial
One of the biggest factors that Randolph-Macon Academy prides itself on is its dedication to helping students at our prep school build character. With that in mind, students at both the middle and upper school levels have the opportunity to participate in various forms of community service.
Our Community Service Program includes volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes, on-campus programs, and volunteering for organizations such as United Way, the Air Force Association, and the American Cancer Society. Students can also take part in international community service via the group Cadets in Action.
While community service is not mandatory, it’s considered a major component of life at R-MA, and students log around 12,000 hours on average of community service per year. Your child participating in community service can not only help them develop their character and leadership skills, but it could also look attractive to universities — in fact, documented hours are necessary for some applications.
Advanced Placement, Dual-Enrolled and Honors Classes Could Make a Big Difference
Another way your child can go from one of the best prep schools to one of the best universities is by enrolling in Advanced Placement, Dual-Enrolled, or Honors classes. Subjects that can be taken within an Advanced Placement program include Chemistry, Environmental Science, Psychology, Statistics, and US Government and Politics. Students can also take Honors courses such as English, French, Physics, Algebra, and Geometry.
Many of the Advanced Placement courses are Dual-Enrolled, meaning they earn credits with those courses via several universities in Virginia. Completing any of these AP courses contains a great incentive for students, in that more than 2,900 educational institutions give credit to students after high exam performances.
Want your child to attend a private school academy?
Contact Randolph-Macon Academy for more information!