6 tips: Preparing For College

Tips for College Prep

October 19- Gracie Stengel

ACT

The first step in preparing for college is taking the ACT. It is recommended that you take it multiple times and you can start as early as freshman year. Studying is also recommended when taking the ACT. Some schools offer ACT prep classes and there are also books and practice tests available online. When you get your test results back they will be in the range from 1-36. This is your composite score. Once you take it a couple of times you will received a superscore which takes your best score from each subject and combines them. Some colleges are test optional, some want your super score, and the competitive colleges want only your best composite score.

VISIT COLLEGES

Even if you aren't sure where you want to go you should definitely go on tours. By doing this you can get an idea of what is out there and what you like or don't like. You can see the difference between private vs. public and small vs. small colleges. Just being on campus for a tour you can see the community and environment there and feel like you are a part of it for even a few hours. Things to think about are if you want to live on or off campus and what are your options for each college. Class size is also something to think about based off of your learning style and abilities.

DECIDE A MAJOR

This is hard for many people because the idea of picking what they want to do for the rest of their life is intimidating. In reality deciding a major is about using your best skills and strengths to find a career. But I have some good news! You can go undecided or change your major as you go through college so you don't have to know for sure. The following are 3 of the current most popular majors...

START YOUR APPLICATION

Some deadlines for application can be as early as November 1st so it is very important for you to start your application process as early as possible. The commonapp is a very popular choice for this. For this you fill out one generic application and you can select colleges and it puts your information into their application. Which saves you so much time and keeps all your applications organized. It is also crucial that you apply to multiple colleges that way you have options when it comes time to chose.

WRITE YOUR PERSONAL ESSAY

Another tip is to start your personal essays early. Essays on your college application can be the deciding factor for admissions officers. It is important to spend time on this so it reflects who you are and shows the college why they want you on their campus. The commonapp also offers a handful of prompts to help you pick want to write about. Popular choices to write about are the following..

FAFSA

The FAFSA is absolutely necessary if you plan on attending college. This is an application for federal aid. After you and your family complete this the government will decide what you can afford and you can get help paying for college. Colleges also look at this before considering you for any scholarships.

Most Importantly

Make sure that no matter what you do you do it for you. Follow your heart and trust your gut in your decisions about your future. Find something you love to do and make it your career. Finally, be open to every opportunity because so many good things could come of it.