4-Year College

Finding the Right College For You - College research is important. You will be spending a lot of time and money on your college education, so you want to be sure you are choosing the right school to meet your needs, interests and objectives. Use Naviance to keep track of your college list. 

Creating Your College List - Creating your list of possible colleges is a big deal. You want to have variety of schools on your list (public and private/independent schools). Create a list of about 7 - 10 schools that are a good mix for you. What do we mean by a mix of schools? 

• Safe Schools - Safe schools are ones that match your interests and needs and for whom you exceed their academic profile (GPA, test scores, etc.). Each students "safe schools" list will be different, just as their academic profiles are different. Community college is a great safe school for any student because they have open admission, have college transfer programs, and are accessible. You should have one or two safe schools on your list of colleges. 
• Match Schools - Match schools have the major you are looking to study and meet your preferences and goals for your college experience while also being schools that you have a reasonable chance of getting into based on your academic profile. You should have five to seven match schools on your list of colleges. The bulk of your college list should be made up of match schools.
• Reach Schools - Reach schools are dream schools you would love to attend but that are probably not attainable for you due to your academic profile, financial considerations, or other personal or family reasons. It's perfectly okay to have schools that are a little beyond your reach on your list, but limit the number to one or two reach schools on your list. 

College Visits - In addition to doing online research, it is really helpful to visit colleges and see them in person. Use this Campus Visit Checklist to plan your visit. If you are not able to travel far to visit the colleges on your list, choose one local community college, private college and public college to visit. In Charlotte, for example, you might visit Central Piedmont Community College, Queens University or Johnson C. Smith University, and UNC Charlotte. This will give you a sense of what these three types of colleges (community, private, public) are like. 

Other Research Tools - There are tons of options for doing college research. It would be very easy to get overwhelmed and not know what to do, so try not to overwhelm yourself with too many sources. Here are a handful of especially good ones. 

• College Planning Guide
• Finding the Right College for You
• HBCU Match
• Net Price Calculators
• Niche Best Colleges
• 6 Things Undocumented Students Need to Know About College
• Undocumented Student Resources

HOW TO APPLY? There are many options for completing college applications. There is no wrong way to apply, but there are better ways that allow you and your supporters at school to work together. Most college applications require a fee, but all Garinger students are eligible for College Application Fee Waivers. 

• The Common Application & Naviance - We encourage students to utilize The Common Application in conjunction with Naviance. For a list of colleges that accept The Common Application, click here. 

• Common App Guide for Students

• Video: Common App for 1st Year Students

• Video: Linking Common App & Naviance

• CFNC Application Hub - If your college does not accept The Common Application and it is a North Carolina college or university, you should apply through CFNC (College Foundation of North Carolina).

• Video: How to Submit a CFNC College Application

• Other Application Portals - There are other options for submitting college applications if your college(s) don't accept The Common App or CFNC applications. You can submit directly on the college's website or via other portals. If you use another applicant portal, be sure to log your applications in Naviance so your counselor & others (ex. teacher recommenders) can submit your support materials.

  1. • 1. 1. 1. • Video: Adding Colleges Into Naviance

WHEN TO APPLY? Begin your college applications on August 1 or as soon after as possible. Choose early action deadlines (October/November) so that you will know as soon as possible about your admission status. Avoid early decision deadlines, which are a binding commitment between the student and the college regardless of financial circumstances.

Some colleges will require an ACT or SAT test score. Don't panic! Our College Advisor can support you if you need to register to take one or more of these exams. Fee waivers are available for all Garinger students.

ACT Test Dates 2024-25 & Fee Waiver Information for ACT

SAT Test Dates 2024-25 & Fee Wavier Information for SAT

Free Test Preparation Options

Getting into college is the first step. Paying for it is next. Students usually pay for college through the following sources. Click on the links below and view the videos that follow to better understand your options for help. It can also be helpful to look at the Net Price Calculator to see how much your college education may cost you. 

• Financial Aid

• Garinger Scholarship Information

• Scholarships & Grants

• Loans

• Savings