College Student Building Credit

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone! I am brand new to the board but I've been a secret reader for months!  I am a college student trying to build my credit and maintain a decent score. I currently have two credit cards: a Wells Fargo College Cash Back credit card and the Capital One Secured Mastercard. My total available credit is $1400. My AAoa is around 6 months according to Credit Karma. My score according to CK is 701-705 between Transunion and Equifax. My CreditSesame score is 713. I was wondering how I can continue building credit and what cards should I apply for. I currently have 8 pulls on my Transunion and Equifax but most of them are dropping off this year. I really want to apply for the Chase Freedom card but I don't want to rish a pull and not get it. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! 

[Aarvard]

Maybe you should try EX FICO 7 day trial for $1 to see your EX 08 score? If it's in the low 700 without baddies, I think you should be good to apply for Amex/Discover because they tend to like thin and clean file. Chase is known for preferring 1 year of credit history, so to be safe, apply for Freedom when you reach the 1-year mark. 

[Anonymous]

I applied a few months ago for the Discover IT College Card and they wanted me to have a co-signer. However, that was before I got my WF card... hmm...

[Aarvard]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I applied a few months ago for the Discover IT College Card and they wanted me to have a co-signer. However, that was before I got my WF card... hmm...

---

Did you get a score in the denial letter?

[Anonymous]

Aarvard,

I pulled my score like you said to. It's 712 Experian FICO. 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I don't think so. I tried to recon it and they said that my denial was due to my thin file and my credit inquires. 

[Aarvard]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Aarvard,

I pulled my score like you said to. It's 712 Experian FICO. 

---

Already? 

Any baddies or blemishes? How many inquiries do you have in EX report?
Have you tried Chase and Amex pre-qual?

[Anonymous]

---

@Aarvard wrote:

Already? 

Any baddies or blemishes? How many inquiries do you have in EX report?

---

It's one of those long study nights!  

No blemishes or anything negative. I only have one inquiry on my EX report. 

[Anonymous]

---

@Aarvard wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Aarvard,

I pulled my score like you said to. It's 712 Experian FICO. 

---

Already? 

Any baddies or blemishes? How many inquiries do you have in EX report?
Have you tried Chase and Amex pre-qual?

---

Both come back with nothing. The Chase says something about me eithering not opted in to the prequalified offers or I already accepted one. I had a scare with fraud so I sent the bureaus something to place a fraud alert on my social. Maybe that could affect the prequalified offers? 

[Aarvard]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Aarvard wrote:

Already? 

Any baddies or blemishes? How many inquiries do you have in EX report?

---

It's one of those long study nights!  

No blemishes or anything negative. I only have one inquiry on my EX report. 

---

That sounds good 
Another factor is your income...