College admission is, in its simplest form, a numbers game. In fact, while some would call it a kind of lottery, lotteries offer almost no chance of success to those who participate in them, while quite the opposite is true of college admission. There are nearly 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States (counting two and four year institutions) so students have no shortage of options. So, students who do a little research and a bit of thinking about what kind of educational environment best suits them should not have a problem landing at a college or university in which he or she is likely to be happy and academically successful. Believe it or not, students who start their college search early, make good use of the college and financial aid information available in college guides and websites, and ultimately apply to at least four or five carefully chosen colleges can sail through the process with little or no anxiety or hassle. Despite the media’s preoccupation with how tough it is to get admitted to the Harvard’s, Yale’s, and Princeton’s of the world, a very small number of colleges deny admission to nearly as many students as they admit. Thus, if you do not have the grades, SAT scores and desire to attend a very highly selective college and you have applied to a realistic set of colleges your chances at each are high. On the other hand, if your grades and test scores put you in the top five percent and you are applying to the highly selective few, just be sure to also apply to a few of the hundreds of great schools that are not quite as selective.

Generally speaking, the stronger the reputation of a college, the more selective it can afford to be. But, luckily for students, many excellent colleges and universities do not receive enough applications from top tier students to be highly selective.

Remembering these statistics, you are ready to begin the process of selecting and gaining admission to a college. Look for and find six to eight colleges which offer the major(s) of greatest interest to you, are likely to admit students with your grades and scores, and provide the campus lifestyle and environment you seek. Start by meeting with your college counselor to:

1. ask for his/her college recommendations.

2. discuss the courses you plan to take in future years.

4. register to take both the ACT and SAT exams.

4. find out which college admissions counselors will be visiting your high school.

5. register for the college night programs in your region.

Don’t forget that the web is a great source of information. Do a few searches for terms like “colleges”, “college scholarships”, “financial aid” and “college admissions” to identify some good online resources.

Once you’ve completed the above steps, you are well on your way. It doesn’t have to difficult.

Years ago, many highly selective colleges and universities required that all applicants complete an interview with a staff member and/or an alumnus.

Now, far fewer educational institutions insist on an interview, although a significant number do. And, although other institutions do not use the word “interview”, they often rate applicants after conversing with them. At some institutions, even students participate in applicant evaluations.

You would be well advised to assume that anything you say to an institutional representative may influence your admission decision. Here are ten ways to help yourself.

1. Never indicate that a college or graduate school is not your first choice: if you do, you may put your chance of admission at risk.

2. Do not express doubt about continuing your education. Graduate school applicants should not express doubt about wanting to pursue the degree program in question. For grad school applicants, expressing doubt can be the kiss of death.

3. Dress appropriately for all meetings with institutional representatives.

4. Read the printed literature and websites of the institutions to which you are sending applications. Do not brand yourself as lazy by asking a question which can be answered after five minutes on the college/university website.

5. Never make a comment to a student tour guide or anyone else that you would not want the Dean of Admission to hear. If you do, he or she will.

6. Send thank you notes to anyone who spends significant time with you. The less generic they sound, the better.

7. If a family member accompanies you on a campus visit, which can be a good idea, be sure he/she knows not to be a “helicopter” parent or spouse.

8. Have a few well-conceived questions prepared to underline your interest. The critical phrase here is “well-conceived”.

9. Do not make statements that assume your admission, regardless of your qualifications. Humility is a virtue…if you don’t have it, fake it until you do.

10. Meet with representatives of your top choices only after you have had practice with a few of your back up choices. It’s a good strategy.

Essentially, successful interviewing is a combination of good manners, well developed listening skills, reasonable analytical ability, and practice. You can do it.

After high school many people dream of going to college for the next several years, meeting lots of life long friends and going to a lot of parties. That reality is not the case for everyone though. It costs money and takes time for that lifestyle and many people need to finish college fast to earn a degree and get out in the real world supporting them and their family.

Someone in the military for example who does not have the luxury to be on a campus due to the fact that they are out at sea or overseas for an extended period of time. Another example would be someone who works fulltime and is not able to stop working in order to finish a degree program.

Whatever the reason for not being able to go to college fulltime to finish a degree there are other options to consider. So yes the traditional experience of going to college may not happen fully or at all, but at least it is possible to still complete a degree and get on with your professional working life as quick as possible.

The first thing you may be thinking is online or distance education programs. Yes those can be great ways to get a college degree without being on campus and giving you flexibility to do so.

To finish as fast as you can it may require additional steps as well. In case you are not aware there are tests that if you successfully pass them (and there are study guides) you may not be required to then complete certain college classes. Completing one or several of these tests could save you money and time.

The CLEP or College Level Examination Program is one of these tests. Some colleges allow you to earn up to 12 credit hours from a CLEP exam. Some colleges also use these as a part of admissions. Remember however to check with the college you want to earn your degree from to make sure they accept CLEP exams as each college has different policies.

Some examples of the CLEP exams you can take include Accounting, American Government, American Literature, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, and more.

Hopefully completing your college education as fast as possible may seem more doable now. With a combination of finishing CLEP exams along with online colleges (assuming they accept CLEP) you may be able to finish your degree fast and get on with your professional career.