8 Steps to Getting into Your Dream University

The deadline for getting offers from Ontario universities approaches and that has inspired me to make a post about how I worked toward getting into my dream school. I haven’t written about universities since December and that is because once you’ve applied, all you can do is wait. And now that the wait is finally over, I’m back to writing about the topic I have spent the last 5 years thinking about.

In this post, I wanted to highlight the 8 steps I believe will help you get into your dream university/college. They worked for me!

*For the sake of conciseness, I'll only be saying universities from here on, but know that I mean colleges too.*

1. Research:

If you have been reading my posts since last year, you’ll know what a research freak I am! If you had asked me a few years ago, which university I wanted to attend, I would have said the University of Toronto. My answer hasn’t changed but my reasons have. My reason back then was because my idol in the field of Science, Sir Banting, did his postgraduation and research and the St. George campus. Also, it was the only university I knew of.

Over the last 3-4 years, I researched every choice I had, from their location to their acceptance rates to their atmosphere and the kind of students that went there. I made sure I left no stone unturned, so I didn’t stop at just the university websites. I joined forums and Reddit pages and frequented Quora for any new information I could find. In the end, UofT was still my number one choice. I know this area so well. I’ll be home with my supportive family. And I’ll get to study at all 46 libraries that UofT has XD.

But even then, my research wasn’t done. I knew what subjects I was likely taking, so I looked up all the professors I could possibly have on RateMyProfessor. The reviews weren’t for me to create an opinion about my future professors, but to give me a realistic idea of what to expect. Movies and TV Shows give us a more romanticized look at high school and university life and that can steer you away from how normal they can actually be. In my 4 years of high school, I have never gone to a party with alcohol. I’m not saying those don’t happen. I’m saying that not everyone goes to them and you’re not made fun of for that. So, I wanted a better idea than what I knew from my binge-watching sessions and that website really helped. And after all of that, UofT stands strong at #1 for me. So, do your own research.

2. University + Program:

The university you dream of going to has got to have your dream program or at least a program you are genuinely interested in, and then, by extension, that can be your dream program. You might love the place more than anything, but you won’t be happy if you resent what you’re doing. And I get it if you don’t know what to do yet. But look at all the programs the university offers and see what attracts you. All I’m saying is you should find a program that you’ll be happy doing while going to the place you are so in love with.

And, of course, your choices can change over time. Nothing is written in stone. Maybe you’ll realize you want to change your dream program or that you want to go to a different university altogether. Life is unpredictable, but there are things you can do to make that less overwhelming.

3. Ask Yourself Questions:

If you’re going to spend your time and energy on getting into this school, you want to be sure about it. Do you like the city? The surrounding area? Do you like the kind of crowd this university caters to? Do you like the atmosphere? Can you live away from home (not applicable if the university is in your home city)? Is there enough to do recreationally? You aren’t planning to spend your entire time in classes or in your room, are you?

Some universities are in quieter towns where things close before 7 PM and it might become hard for you to have any fun if your last class ends at 6 PM. But maybe that’s what you’re looking for. You want to go to a place that will allow you to have no distractions. Then such universities might be perfect for you. I have a post about 8 Things to Think About When Deciding on a University. Read it before you finalize anything.

4. Make a Plan:

Here’s my favourite part!!! Now that you know where you want to go, you need a plane to get there. Hopefully, you’ve decided on the program you want to pursue because now you’re going to look for the requisites and prerequisites of getting in. It could be the courses you have to take in high school or the number of hours of community involvement you need, or the kind of essays students have to write in their applications.

If you give yourself a head start by knowing what you have to do in the coming years, your future self is going to thank you for making life so much easier for them. The journey becomes a lot smoother when you know what steps you have to take to reach your destination.

5. Stick to Your Plan:

I must have made 100 plans when I started this process before ripping them all apart. Your first plan is almost definitely not going to be your last plan. Life changes and so will your priorities. But that’s what shows growth. I’ll be uploading a post on this soon, but your plan should be as detailed as it can be. If you need a 90% admission’s average, writing down “Get straight A’s” is not going to get them for you. You need to write down the steps you think you should take in order to get those A’s. Why I said write down the steps you think you should take is because everyone will have an opinion on how to get straight A’s but only you know what works best for you.

As detailed as the plan is though, you have to make it feasible. It should be something that doesn’t take too much effort to stick to. You don’t want to miss your parent’s birthday because you wanted to finish all 40 hours of community services in 4 days. Make it sustainable.

6. Stay Motivated: I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to quit and live an easier life. But you have to remind yourself how important your dream is to you and pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Realize your dream, man! You had it for a reason. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and energize yourself to focus on your making your dreams come true.

7. Stay Humble: I only have two words: overconfidence kills. Confidence can drive you, but overconfidence can make you drive off a cliff. Even if you know for sure that you’re the best, keep improving yourself. You can never know enough or do enough.

8. Have a Backup Plan: I know I spent this whole post telling you to work towards your dreams but having a backup plan and a safety school is important, too. Not having a safety net will stress you out about getting into the university more than you need. That will leave you burnout and with nowhere to go. Make a plan for what you want to do if things don’t work out - if you realize that isn’t where you want to go or what you want to do. Know what you’ll do if you decide you need more time to think about your future. Any kind of plan is helpful as long as you don’t use it as an excuse to slack.

Those were the 8 steps I took to get into my dream university and into my dream program. I would love to know how your journey to university has been so far. Comment down below or DM me on Instagram (@studywithaarushi). I'm so excited to be posting about this again. Stay tuned for my next few posts. -Aarushi