Pershelle Rohrer
College is a part of many people’s futures that is emphasized from the time they are a child until they earn a degree as an adult. As far back as middle school, college preparation are emphasized, and opportunities are given for students to live the college experience through visits and camps. However, it is sometimes still difficult to know the steps to take to prepare yourself for choosing where you are going to continue your education. As a senior, I am nearly done with this process, so I wanted to give some advice on how to prepare yourself for college as early as freshman year. Everything you do in high school can impact your college decision, even during freshman year. Grades are extremely important, especially if you have aspirations to get into a school with a low acceptance rate. Develop strong study habits from day one and strengthen them as you progress through high school. While the grades on paper are important, the knowledge and study skills you gain will also leave you better prepared for a rigorous learning experience in college. Get involved in extracurricular activities starting freshman year as well. Many colleges ask for a resume as part of your application for admission or scholarship consideration, so getting involved all four years is important in helping you stand out from your fellow applicants. Keep a list of all the awards and honors you receive, no matter how small you think they are. They will build upon each other and show that you have something to offer to the university in more than just academics. Begin your college search no later than the middle of your junior year. I began researching colleges at the beginning of my sophomore year, which gave me extra time to research majors and other necessities that were offered at each school. As you begin your search, make a list of all the things that you want at your dream school, and if there is something essential missing from the school you are researching, namely your major, don’t look at that school any further. No college list is too big. I made a list of 70-plus schools before actually researching the details, and it gave me lots of options to consider as the picture of my perfect school changed. Make sure this list gets narrowed down by the time you are ready to begin visiting schools so you can begin to focus on the schools that start to stand out from the others. Consider visiting colleges starting your junior year. Some people believe this is early, but I made eleven college visits during my junior and senior years, and if I would have started during my senior year, I would not have had the opportunity to explore all these different campuses. Prioritize which schools you want to see and try to make a trip to visit all the ones in close proximity to each other over a few day span. Go to see all the schools you are considering over a break from school or try to visit schools while they are in classes. Either way, you should get a feel for the school before committing. While you are on campus, make an appointment with a professor in your intended major and ask them questions. Getting to know the faculty can be the thing that tells you that this is the place for you or to steer clear. If the professor makes time for you and gives good information, you can expect that they will treat you the same way when you arrive on campus. If you get repeatedly passed off to advisors or other people who don’t have as much face to face interaction with the students, odds are that you will get a less personalized experience as a student at their university. Getting a feel for the town and the people is important because you will have to live there for the next four years. If you can’t make it before applying, make an attempt to see the campus after you are accepted to make sure that the school has everything you want. When preparing to apply to schools, make sure you write down every deadline that will apply to you in the coming months. This includes all application, scholarship, and honors college deadlines. Apply early to every school that offers it. You will get a much earlier decision and priority to scholarships and honors opportunities. Getting your decisions in December and January instead of February and March gives you more time to allow scholarships and aid to come in, which lets you make a thoroughly informed decision. Just because a university looks expensive on paper doesn’t mean that it will be for every student. Some universities have high price tags but are generous with aid, making a $70,000 per year college experience almost free. Do not be scared away by the price tag. Apply and allow the university to make the decision on money for you. You might be surprised on what kind of aid they are willing to give. Apply to safety, match, and reach schools. Safeties are schools that you know you’ll get into based on your GPA and test scores, match schools have many students with similar stats to you and should be possible for you to get into, and reach schools will probably reject you. Choosing a balance of each type of school gives you opportunities if your top school is a reach or really expensive. However, if you know that you will get into and be able to afford your top school, feel free to apply to just one. After you receive your decisions, consider which school is the best fit for you academically, socially, and financially. Consider which school has the best major and where you will have the most opportunities to pursue activities in and outside of school. When the right school presents itself to you, you will know, and if the experience doesn’t turn out to be what you thought it was, you always have the opportunity to transfer in future semesters. Begin researching early and often, get your applications done early, and visit as many campuses as possible. Maintain your grades and participate in extracurricular activities. If you don’t know where to start your research, go to the internet to look for suggestions. Many people have been through this process before and are willing to help those who are just beginning their search. I wish you luck in the coming years as you prepare for your future and hope this this advice helps you on your college journey.
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