Junior year is a pivotal time in the lives of high school
students. Junior year marks a transition to upper classmen,
and students begin to ponder their post-high school
academic careers around this time as well.
The college preparatory process can seem daunting,
particularly if a student does not have a sibling who
recently went through the steps and can offer advice. Wellmeaning
parents maywant to share their own experiences,
but much has changed since parents were looking ahead to
their own college experiences. That doesn’t mean parents
can’t offer important assistance, particularly when they
learn the ropes of today’s college preparatory process.
Speak with a guidance counselor to plan courses
Parents and students canmeet collectively with a guidance
counselor to talk about goals and coursework. Many
high schools offer Advanced Placement classes or dual
enrollment courses that enable students to earn college
credit.
Discuss extracurricular activities
Colleges and universities do not just look at grade and test
scores; they consider the entire applicant. Therefore, high
schoolers should dabble in various clubs, organizations
and sports to make them more appealing to admissions
departments.
Enroll in a test preparation course
Though a growing number of American colleges and
universities have abandoned ACT and SAT scores as part of
their admissions process, many schools still require those
scores. Students can benefit from taking test prep classes
either in school or through outside tutoring businesses.
Learning strategies for the tests as well as seeing sample
questions can remove some of the anxiety associated with
the tests.
Guide to
Preparing for
College Admissions
Visit schools and attend college fairs
Parents and students should make appointments to visit
several college campuses that offer courses students
are interested in. Getting one’s name in admissions
departments’ databases also opens up students to emails
about upcoming events and application deadlines.
Learn about The Common Application
The Princeton Review says most schools will use The
Common Application as part of the admissions process.
This enables students to enter all of their information
and apply to multiple schools using the same account.
However, schools will typically have different supplemental
essay topics or test score requirements. Essays typically are
required to be around 650 words.
Get financial paperwork in order
Applying to college and applying for financial aid (which
every student should do regardless of income) are two
separate processes. In the United States, students will
start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The
FAFSAwill help determine eligibility for grants, scholarships,
federal work-study, and student loans. The FAFSA requires
information taken from federal income tax statements.
Parents can help guide their students further by following
up on school transcripts, teacher recommendations and
providing application cost fees, which vary from $50 to
$100 per school. The road to college may seem confusing,
but a few simple strategies can make it easier to navigate.
Parents can educate themselves on the process needed for students
to apply to college and guide their children accordingly.
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