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| Education beyond high school can give you choices that may not otherwise be possible, open doors to better paying positions, and give you the opportunity to do the things you enjoy most. By advancing your education, you can expand your possibilities and increase your career choices. You should start planning for college as early as the eighth grade. Not only will this improve your chances of getting into the college of your choice, but it will also make applying much easier. |
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Prepare for College Early
Plan a Career
Find the College That's Right for You
Visit the Colleges of Your Choice
Discover Your Payment Options
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Prepare for College Early |
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| Vague advice, perhaps, but invaluable. Preparing early for your college education will help you position yourself to get into the college you want. Even if you are in your junior or senior year, however, you can still choose, apply, and get accepted to the college best for you, if you plan carefully. |
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| Regardless of the grade you are in now, there are some general notes to remember and rules to follow: |
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- Pay attention to deadlines and dates.
- Keep in mind that even though they may not be required for high school graduation, most colleges require at least three, and often prefer four, years of studies in math, English, science, and social studies.
- In addition to this, most colleges require at least two years of the same foreign language.
- Your grades are important but the difficulty of your coursework can also be a significant factor in a college's decision to admit you. In general, most colleges prefer students with average grades in tougher courses than students who opt for an easy A.
- You should also note that most high schools grade AP courses on a 5-point scale rather than the 4-point scale used for other classes, essentially giving students a bonus point for tackling the extra difficulty (e.g., a B in an AP course is worth as much as an A in a non-AP course).
- College admission officers will pay the closest attention to your GPA, class rank, college credit, AP courses, and scores on standardized tests.
- Participation in extracurricular activities is also a good idea in high school. Activities that require time and effort outside the classroom (such as speech and debate, band, communications, and drama) indicate a willingness to cooperate with others and put forth the effort needed to succeed.
- Computer science courses or courses that require students to use computers in research and project preparation can also help aid your future college performance.
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Plan a Career |
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| Choosing a career and a corresponding major will help you decide which colleges are right for you. |
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Find the College That's Right for You |
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- Use the College Finder to identify campuses using preferences such as college type, location, size cost, campus life, academics, etc.
- Use the College Matching Wizard to explore the advantages/disadvantages and definitions of various factors affecting the college selection process.
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Visit the Colleges of Your Choice |
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- Take a Virtual Campus Tour
- Once you have narrowed your selection, arrange to visit the campuses in person. This is an important step in the decision process, so whenever possible, plan a visit to the schools.
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Discover Your Payment Options |
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| You should look into scholarships, student loans, and other financial aid options before you apply to a particular college or university. Since there is so much financial aid available, however, and since colleges are generally willing to work with you to put together a favorable financial aid package, money shouldn't be a primary concern when considering a college. |
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| Source: U.S. Department of Education. Federal Student Aid (FSA) https://studentaid.ed.gov |
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