Student looking through Financial Aid application, N.J.

• If you really know for sure the one place you want, you've got a leg up. Apply early decision — it can increase your odds of acceptance by 20 to 50 percent.
  
• Most colleges have a "back door," otherwise known as majors that are underutilized. Think about expressing an interest in one of those to increase your odds of getting into that super-tough school — you can always change later.
  
• You want your essay to rise above the rest, not stick out like a sore thumb. So insiders say the first rule is: follow the rules. If they ask for three pages, make it three pages. If they ask you to answer a question, answer the question. If they leave it wide open, think carefully about what you want to convey, not what you think they want to read.
  
• A big temptation for parents is to help their child with the essay. Admission counselors will know you did, so don't.
  
• The same goes for those cheater essays that you can find on the Internet. They'll never capture what admission counselors value the most.
  
• If the essay is ulcer-inducing, the thought of the admissions interview can be positively paralyzing. Parents, back off! Let your kid's independence come across.
  
• Let your child take the reins. Some schools take note of little things such as your student being the one to walk up to the receptionist and say, "I'm here for my 10 o'clock interview."
  
• Make sure your student is prepared not just to answer the tough questions but to ask them as well.
  
• There are expectations that your child has done a fair amount of homework about the school beforehand. Use the interview not just to impress, but to get more information that's specific to you. When your student doesn't make use of this opportunity, she may send the signal that this school is an afterthought for her.
  
• Nearly 70 percent of the colleges and universities in this country admit more than 65 percent of the students that apply. So, more students are being admitted than are being denied.
  
• If spring rolls around and your student isn't happy with where he's been admitted, keep looking. Some colleges have admissions slots open until September for the right person.

Rutgers University
Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions
Rutgers-Camden
406 Penn Street
Camden, NJ 08102-1499
732-932-INFO (4630)
www.rutgers.edu

Natavi Guides
www.studentshelpingstudents.com
Articles and college admissions books written for students by students

Paying for College Without Going Broke
By Kalman Chany, published by The Princeton Review
www.PrincetonReview.com

The Coalition of America's Colleges and Universities
www.collegeispossible.com
Presents a wealth of helpful info on preparing, choosing and paying for college

College Source Online
www.cgf.org
More than 25,000 college catalogs online