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I remember reading a few of the great Shakespearean tragedies in one of my high school English classes. I recognized that Shakespeare was perceptive and insightful for his time (and to an extent, for ours too - people don't become literary legends for nothing!) However, I also remember thinking that for whatever masterpieces he wrote, he actually knew little of the tragedies of our day. Of course, back then, I was a high school student, so I also wasn't attuned to real tragedies, but at the time, I had fears too. Some students I knew didn't get into their dream schools. Even worse, some students didn't get into any of the schools they applied to.

It's enough to inspire nightmares. Fortunately, my friends and I each made it into good schools (even if they weren't the schools necessarily of our dreams.) Looking back now, I realize all the stress wasn't necessary. All we needed...and all we had done...was planned smartly.

Ninth grade. Planning begins in the ninth grade.

The students who (unfortunately) failed to get accepted to any of their applied schools failed to realize that since colleges begin looking at a student from his freshman year in high school, that's when they should begin planning. These students began high school with bad grades, didn't necessarily get involved with meaningful activities, and worst of all, they couldn't turn the tables around quickly enough for applications. The worst part of the tragedy: most realized they had done themselves great disservices only as time was running out.

What and how should you plan to avoid this? Planning should be practical; you should look at what schools generally want from students. You don't need to have a dream school or a major the moment you step into your freshman classes - in fact, many students can't figure out these things even after they've spent a couple of years in university! However, you should recognize that most universities will care about 1) your grades and test scores, 2) your extracurricular involvement, 3) community service or sports involvement, 4) meaningful awards and distinctions, and 5) your personality and writing ability. Don't fear that your life is over if you don't have one of these things; just recognize that with four years and a plan, you can improve your weak spots or make your strong spots shine. These will maximize your options, notwithstanding the particular requirements of select schools.

From ninth grade on, you should carefully select your courses. If you want to be competitive

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