“I have time, college is still a few years away, or even a few months away.” You may feel you have your ducks in a row and know everything you have to do to prepare. Yet where do you start? It is possible you feel you don’t know where to start your college search or the steps you need to take to get started.
Never fear! Here are a couple tips to add to your checklist for college planning that will help your process to go more smoothly and help reduce the stress!
Ten Tips to Aid Your College Planning
- Make a list of careers you are interested in: Order your list of career ideas you are interested in the order of preference.
- Search the internet or ask your career counseling office what major corresponds to your career interest.
- Search for colleges, listing out college with programs pertaining to your career and major interests.
- Consider using a “pros and cons” list when rating each college you investigate. Consider dorm quality, food options, distance from home, tuition, sports, internships opportunities, and class sizes.
- Ask coaches, parents, older siblings, or a trusted teacher to help weigh in on colleges they know of. They can speak about these colleges in relation to your interests.
- Look into scholarships: Even if you are not an athlete there are many other scholarships available. Consider stopping in and talking to your school counselor to ask what options are available to you.
- Read up on the qualifications to get into your prospective schools: Look at the GPA minimum, ACT or SAT scores and credits needed. Also look into whether you need a personal statement or essay, and letters of recommendation. Check into the foreign language requirements for each school.
- Create and proofread an essay you will use for each application. Sometimes starting this essay early, and having a trusted teacher read it over can help with the stress of applying to schools by the deadline.
- Start early: Start your application process early, do not wait until close to the deadlines to apply. Keep a record of deadlines for applications and log them in your phone notifications or planner.
- Visit the schools: Most importantly, plan to visit multiple schools. Chances are the way a school appears on its website is not realistic. Plan an official visit so that you can meet and talk to students on the college campus, as well as sit in on a class, try the food, and tour the campus. Use your pros and cons list to evaluate the various aspects of the school you are concerned with.
Become a Well-Prepared College Applicant
Get excited and take a breath. College planning can be scary, but with the above tips, you will have a better plan. This plan will help focus you on the task at hand, as well as give you an overall good picture about your future at college. Take it in strides and start early. You will soon be on your way to becoming a well-prepared applicant to start your college career!
