Millions of high school juniors, community college transfers, and grad school bound baccalaureates believe that getting into a great school is a cut and dried proposition.

If you have good grades and good exam scores, youre in.

But as many of the best and brightest will tell you, these laurels are only part of the story.

What they and their parents and well wishers dont get is the fact that the entire college and grad school admittance process is a NEGOTIATION.

I dont mean if you offer to pay higher tuition youre in.

I mean you are selling yourself or your childs resume, to the best bidder. And there are ways to make any product more attractive and desirable, and this takes negotiation skill.

For example, what if the applicant is in the top few percent of her class and her scores are off the chart? Colleges may seek her out and give her a full ride, tuition, room and board, and possibly some work-study money.

How come?

Simply put, they want and need at least some GREAT students, scholars, people who will fly the schools colors with distinction during their lives, bringing money, fame, and more good students to alma mater.

But obviously, most students dont have such stellar success. Theyre more, well, average.

How can they increase their odds of getting into a better school than they technically, deserve?

Five ways:

(1) When I mentioned the word, resume, I mean just that, and really parents should start building their kids resumes early and update them often. I went to grade school with a boy who was a fairly normal kid, but he liked science. His Mom got him onto the Mr. Wizard TV show as somewhat of a regular. Believe me, he wasnt expected to concoct new chemical formulas, but to be the Gee, golly gosh! foil for the codger whom the show was named after. Now thats a GREAT credential! As I recall my friend leveraged that, plus some solid grades, and other well rounded activities to get into a wonderful, exclusive college.

Every kid cant get on TV, but he can join the Science Club, publish his own kid-science blog, and do other things to distinguish himself. Anything constructive that makes you stand out is useful. You want to be one-of-a-kind.

(2) If you can attach a photo to your application, make it a great shot, showing you DOING one of your special skills. I attached my daughters shot of her in her soccer uniform because I wanted the school to know she is a scholar-athlete, a theme that was repeated in the application. She got into the school of her choice, playing multiple sports for them.

(3) Letters of recommendation are crucial, and they are most effective when they come from people with solid connections to the school or from prominent individuals. Cultivate teachers from Day 1. Dont just do your homework and get a high grade. Volunteer to tutor struggling peers, be vocal in class, SMILE and give eye contact to the teacher. These are investments in the relationship that will pay off when that teacher WANTS to help you to get into the schools of your choice. I asked a sitting Congressman to write a letter to a law school admissions director for a relative, and he gladly agreed, acknowledging I helped him, through volunteer work, to win his seat. Pull out all of the stops. Network to find out who knows whom, and target the most credible people to compose your recommendation letters. This is a campaign, and you want to win!

(4) Take every opportunity to call, visit the campus, sit in on classes, and get to know some professors and administrators. Get them ego-involved in trying to help you to get into their school. Ask them to call their pals in Admissions and ask them to pay special attention to your application when it comes across their desk.

(5) Volunteer to be an UNPAID GOFER or research assistant to a professor or to the universitys health or dental clinic in order to get that person or unit to support your admission.

You might think youre taking unfair advantage by doing some of these things, but again, you need to STAND OUT to get admitted, especially if your are not an OUTSTANDING student in traditional ways.

How would you negotiate for the very best price for a product? Youd tout its uniqueness, scarcity, desirability, and future value and utility.

Likewise, you need to assert that youre going to be a credit to the school, worth their current belief in you and your potential.

Build that case in every way you can, and dont be bashful.