Frequently Asked Questions

How MANY universities should you apply to?

• • Apply to as many schools as you feel comfortable with.

  • If a school can offer you better scholarships, then apply to that school. It will help costs if you use the better scholarships as leverage to get more money from the school you want to attend.

  • The Common Application makes things a lot easier- less applications for the amount of schools, cuts time down. (You may even get out of essays through the common application.)

  • You should try to apply to 15-20 schools. This should consist of safety schools and reach schools. (Schools you are likely to get into with your stats, and schools that are competitive with your stats.) Yet, be aware that the application fees to theses school may be costly. Look at that particular school's website for more information about their application requirements.

When should you apply for the FAFSA?

• As soon as possible- the FAFSA opens on October 1st.

• *NOTE: The Illinois MAP Grant is a grant that sometimes applies to students who are in too high of an income bracket to qualify for federal grants. These go quickly though, so filing the FAFSA early is key to earning a MAP grant.

• To learn more information about FAFSA, go to their website or talk to your school counselors.

• How much do college and trade applications cost?

  • $25-$65 is the approximate cost to apply to specific schools.

  • If you qualify for free/reduced lunch, you may qualify for a fee waiver for some schools- be sure to check with the schools you want to apply to see if you qualify.

  • If you attend a visit at that school, it may be waived or lowered. Some colleges are even offering virtual previews with fee waivers at the moment.

Which should you take: SAT or ACT?

• • SAT is preferred by many students. SAT focuses more on the newer aspects of education, while ACT doesn’t go by common core standards. Also, ACT is more based on Science questions with reading and math.

  • *NOTE: "Superscoring", or using the best scores for each subject from multiple tests, doesn’t apply to all schools. Individual sections of the test on the SAT and ACT need to be taken all at once.

  • If the school you want to attend "superscores", and you only need a better score for one subject, you can save money by taking subject tests instead of the whole exam again- just be sure to check with the university you want to attend to ensure they will accept it.

What are some extra classes I should take to prepare for life?

• • Consumers, economics, accounting, automotive, etc. These classes will help with taxes, education on consumer necessities, and simple utilities like changing your tire.

When is the right time to start applying to colleges?

• • Right when the application comes out. Can start anytime in July- START OVER THE SUMMER! (Many schools have repeated prompts, so start drafting your essays as soon as possible!)

  • The sooner you apply to colleges, the sooner you can receive acceptance and scholarships. For example: Early Decision and Early Action programs usually take in more applicants, and shows the school that it is your top choice.

When do you start prepping for SAT/ACT?

• Don’t pay for prep classes. Take early ACT and SAT’s (or the PSAT) to practice for
  the actual tests. (ex: Take the ACT in December before April.)

  • Khan Academy offers free, personalized preparation based on previous scores from your SAT and PSAT for FREE!

  • Ask previous or current students to borrow their preparation textbooks, find deals.

  • You also need to know that there are deadlines when taking the SAT/ACT for college applications. You typically can’t take any SAT after December of your Senior year and count it towards your college applications.

What can we do to figure out what careers fit for us?

• Take different classes in high school, and different career tests and personality tests, to see what you are interested in and what you excel at.

• Attend Job Shadow services and events, they are meant to help students like you!

• If you haven't yet figured it out, don't panic. Many students switch their majors during college, and they don't quite figure it out until then. Although it's great for you to figure out your interests and passions now, you will figure out your path eventually.