Choosing a college comes with a lot of questions.  Do I want to attend a state school or a private college?  Stay close to home or move to the other side of the country?  What should I major in ?  How much will college cost?

To find out what is important to you in a college it is helpful to use the College Board's College Search Step-by-Step quiz.  It will guide you through things like kinds of colleges, location, cost, majors and other big items to think about when deciding on a college.  Just click the link below and the "Begin Exploring" button to get a better idea of what you are looking for in a college.

College Search Step-by-Step

Sometimes just understanding the "language" of the college application and admissions process can be daunting.  What is a "safety school", "EFC" and the difference between a loan and a grant ?  The cheat sheets below will help you understand college lingo.  We've divided it into two sections, one more focused on the application and admissions process and one focused more on financial aid.

College Lingo:  Application & Admissions

College Lingo:  Financial Aid

PLEASE TALK TO MRS. POWELL BEFORE REGISTERING FOR EITHER SAT OR ACT TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR A FEE WAIVER

If you are applying to a 4 year college you will need to submit either SAT or ACT score results. You do not need to take both tests.  Some students feel more comfortable taking the SAT and some feel better taking the ACT.  The best advice is to take some practice tests and see which format feels more comfortable for you and then register for that test.  

Below are the links for this years testing dates and registration deadlines:

SAT Test Dates

ACT Test Dates

If you want to review the test material there are many high quality, FREE, resources available to you through a quick google search.  Below are ones that students have found useful in the past.

SAT Practice through Khan Academy 

ACT Test Prep through ACT Academy

It can be difficult and a little overwhelming when you see how many steps there are in the college application process but we are here to help!!

Step 1:  Contact Mrs. Powell, the School Counselor, so she can make a time to meet with you and discuss the process.  Her email is bpowell@sdvsk12.org

Step 2:  Applying to college can be stressful-- have your parents/guardians be involved, they want to help but since almost everything is done over email they aren't sure how.  The easiest way to is create a family email account that both you and your parents/guardians can log into and use this email ONLY FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS.  A good example would be Smithfamily2019@gmail.com 

Step 3:  Review this checklist.  It's view only for a reason-- to get a copy you can contact Mrs. Powell! (bpowell@sdvsk12.org) 

College Application Checklist