You’ll hear this everywhere: Apply to a couple of “reach” schools, one or two “safeties,” and then a few that fall in the middle. It might be tempting to take it easy in college, but go to a school that will challenge you academically, says Julia Ball, a senior marketing major at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. There’s still plenty of time to have fun, she says, even at a school with a demanding workload.
“It’s more rewarding to work hard for your grades, especially when you’re applying to jobs later,” says Ms. Ball. “I had this one crazy marketing class that everyone says will take over your life, and it did take over my life. But afterward I was able to talk about it in job interviews.”
Still, getting into a “great school” may not be the right academic fit for you. Ball wants high school seniors to remember this: “Just because it’s a great school, doesn’t mean that it’s a fit for you.” Consider all the factors.
