While most schools look for similar qualities in applicants, there is no sure-fire formula for getting into a particular communications major college. With that in mind, parents and students should study college catalogs and websites and quiz recent alumni, current students and admission officials to learn which school would be the best fit.
Specific admission requirements will vary from school to school. At the beginning of the selection process, it is basically a numbers game. You need to have a grade point average (GPA) —a cumulative number based on your grades in 9th–11th grade)—that meets the college’s standards as well as test scores (SAT/ACT) that reflect your ability to handle college-level work. Colleges almost always look for students who have attended an accredited high school, but there are ways to compensate for a lack of accreditation. The same is true for home-schooled students.
You should prepare yourself by taking the toughest courses you can handle in high school. A student whose curriculum includes a good number of advanced placement and honors courses has an edge over someone with slightly higher grades but a softer curriculum. Colleges are looking for students who didn’t slack off during their senior year.