Start The College Application Process Before Entering Your Senior Year
A lot of work goes into the college application process. At one time, experts recommended that students should start applying during their senior year. However, depending on your college of choice, some are now recommending you begin preparing even before you start school in the fall.
There will be essays, tests, recommendation letters, and a lot of paperwork to pull together to have your application completed. If you are applying to more than one school, that adds additional work to the list. Keep in mind that colleges can set their own schedules and will have different deadlines, so make sure you leave enough room in your calendar to get everything in on timepreferably early.
Take The Right High School Classes To Prepare For College
Plan to work hard in high school. Taking the most challenging classes available will benefit you in multiple ways. In addition to learning the course content, such as Algebra, Chemistry, or a foreign language, college preparatory classes will also develop your skills in note-taking, studying, writing, test-taking, time management, critical thinking, and more. These important skills will prepare you for the rigor of college classes.
What Is College Readiness
College readiness encompasses all aspects of your academic preparation, including the basic skills of note-taking, reading texts, studying for exams, and writing essays and research papers. It involves developing life skills, such as time management, goal setting, and managing money. In addition, college readiness requires a level of maturity that will allow you to successfully navigate the abundance of freedom, responsibilities, and opportunities that college life provides. Part of that is knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses and taking the initiative to work on areas that you need to develop. This is an exciting time as you grow in understanding of your core values and main interests. Your ability to build healthy relationships will allow you to grow, collaborate and communicate effectively with others.
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Is College Transition Hard
The transition to college may be tough, but it can also be rewarding. Participating in campus events is a great way to make friends and find new interests. Student services can assist in making the college transition easier. Managing your time and staying healthy can help you get the most out of college.
Know About College Application
Whether a person underwent academic or home education, they still have to know how to apply to college. If one is serious about obtaining a professional degree, then this is the way to go.
First, recruiters check applicants, even before the university admissions team does. This happens because only those who qualify have permission to study. Usually, a candidate must have an above average SAT score, or they may need to have a GPA letter score of A or B. Still, it is imperative to take up correct preparatory courses.
After meeting the standard requirements, schools ask applicants to pass specific records. Administrators often request a copy of ones official transcript and medical documents. To further examine candidates, academic institutions require you to compose an essay or review to assess the intent of applicants, and their writing skills.
But, before registering as a pupil of an academy, budgeting is essential. When you get right down to it, schooling involves spending cash. A person has to have enough money to fund traveling and accommodation needs. Thats during and after registration. One might have to apply for a scholarship beforehand, ask for parental support, or get a job to cover costs.
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Work On Important College Skills
You doubtless have plenty of important skills already, but college is going to provide you with your first big test on just how skilled you are. Where you had the help of mentors, siblings, parents, and relatives during high school, now its mostly you on your own.
Some important college skills to work on include time management, budgeting skills, organizational skills, studying, interpersonal skills, managing stress, and communication. If you feel like you need to improve in any of these areas, nows the time to brush up.
Get A Jump Start: Prepare For College Before High School
Its never too early to start planning for college.
You don’t need to be in high school to start planning for college or thinking about college admissions. Although colleges and universities wont be looking at middle school grades when considering your application, middle school is a great time to think about the type of high school subjects and programs you want to take to start preparing for college early.
How do you start preparing for college when you are in seventh or eighth grade? First of all, take your education seriously. That means paying attention to your classes, doing your homework carefully and applying yourself. The classes you take before high school are the foundation for the math, English, history and science courses that you will take in high school. Your record in these core subjects is what college admissions officers will be scrutinizing.
Start saving money now. While financial aid can help you pay for college, some of that comes in the form of loans you have to pay back with interest.
Since colleges like to see well-rounded students, this is also the time to start thinking about extracurricular activities. The eighth grade debate club rookie can often become the senior debate club captain. Choose activities that you already have a natural interest or ability in: drama, music, sports, government or community service, among other possibilities.
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Befriend Teachers You Plan To Ask For Letters Of Recommendation
This is the time to start really getting to know your high school teachers better, especially those who teach core classes you consistently do well in, since they’ll likely be the ones you want to get letters of recommendation from for your college applications.
Develop a strong rapport with your teachers so they respect you and know you well, beyond just the grades you get on homework assignments and tests.
Its a smart idea to ask your teachers sometime in the spring if theyd be willing to write you a letter of recommendation for your college applications that fall. This way, you wont be stressing out at the beginning of your senior year about whom to ask or how much time to give them to write your letter.
Look Into Taking Honors And Ap Courses
At this time, you should also start to look into what honors and/or AP classes you might be eligible to take as a 9th grader . Meet with your counselor and discuss whether there are any upper-level classes or more challenging versions of the core courses above that you can sign up for.
Your counselor should also map out possible class plans for each year you’re in high school so that youll be on track to complete all the courses you need for college. Having a four-year plan can really help you visualize the different steps you’ll need to take every year.
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Create An Academic Roadmap
You might not yet know what you want your college major to be. And thats OK! In fact, many college freshmen dont yet know what they want their majors to be, and they only make this decision a year or two years into collegeonce theyve completed all required coursework.
However, even without knowing what you want your college major to be, its a good idea as a high school freshman to create an academic roadmap. This will guide you through your high school studies and help prepare you for your college career. To create your academic roadmap, just ask yourself a few basic questions:
The Right Focus: Find And Follow Your Passions
When I attended high school, the conventional wisdom was that students needed to appear as well-rounded as possible. According to several college preparation experts, that idea has changed.
Shaan Patel, founder and CEO of Prep Expert, recommends focusing on clubs and activities a student can envision participating in throughout high school. Its better to concentrate energy on two to three specific things and gain both experience and leadership skills in them, rather than jump from club to club, Patel says. During your freshman year, choose quality and commitment versus sheer quantity.
Curtis agrees. The idea is not to show youre well-rounded, he says. Instead, students should focus on long-term commitment to their interests. Some parents might be relieved to hear that those interests could range from community service and entrepreneurship to sports or even video games.
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Are You Anxious As You Count Down The Days Until University Begins Not For Long In This Guide We Show You How To Prepare For College Right Whether You’re A Freshman Or Returning Student So You Start The Term Ready For Academic Success
Looking to learn how to prepare for college?
The transition between high school and college is way more than just changing schools.
In many cases, youre also moving far from home, progressing into adulthood, meeting all new people, and taking care of yourself for the first time in your life.
It sounds daunting, to say the very least.
Fortunately, its nowhere near as hard as it sounds. In fact, if you plan out your college prep tasks effectively, becoming a university freshman student can be the funnest moment of your life!
Whether youre a college freshman, transferring from community college to a four-year, or returning as a grad student, you should find this guide relevant with all the best ways to prepare yourself for university.
Note: This guide assumes that youve already chosen a college, applied for it, and been accepted. But, if you need more preliminary advice on getting into university, simply check out our blogs education section!
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- Develop skills & experience
Without further ado
Here are our best tips for how to prepare for college:
Prepare For Sat Or Act
Consider them as the biggest examinations of your life and take them seriously. Your SAT scores are a huge determining factor in the overall admission process. The College Board recommends taking the exam in your junior year so you can take it again during senior high school if you dont score well the first time.
Most colleges share average SAT scores of the applicants and some even have a minimum SAT score requirement for programs. If you have followed point one of this five step plan, you will already have a list of SAT scores for colleges. Keep these scores as a benchmark and start your preparations.
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Preparing For College Starts Freshman Year Of High School
This fall, my oldest child starts high school, a critical coming-of-age experience most noteworthy because this is the last time she will start a new school thats within ten minutes of our house. The next school she attends will be college, which is both exciting and seriously stressful.
In just a couple of years, my daughter will spend agonizing hours preparing for SATS, writing essays, and filling out college applications. Just thinking about it makes my mom brain go into panic mode.
Will she have the right activities and accolades to put on those applications?
What does she need to do in high school to be competitive?
Am I worrying for no reason?
Is freshman year too early to start prepping for college applications?
I dont have the answers, so I decided to ask those who do. According to the experts, it is important to start thinking about preparing for college applications as early as possible.
Get Involved In Extracurricular Activities
Involvement in activities outside of schoolwork makes high school a lot more interesting and fun. These extracurricular activities also provide opportunities to gain proficiencies you couldnt learn through textbooks and tests alone. Through extracurricular activities, you can develop important skills, such as teamwork, public speaking, creativity, leadership, and self-awareness.
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Focus On Your Chosen Extracurricular Activities
Participation in extracurricular activities plays a significant role in your college admission chances. However, the key is to choose one or two activities and excel in them rather than spend a couple of weeks, or lightly participate, in many activities. Focusing on one or two shows dedication. Prepare for college during your high school years by picking your activities and focus on excelling in them.
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How To Prepare For College College Readiness Guide
What does it mean to be ready for college? There are some important steps to take during high school. Here are 11 tips to help you to be prepared academically and personally for your college education.
High School is a great time to learn, explore, develop, and dream. When you start your freshman year, you may not know where you want to go to college or what you want to study. But there are things you can do that will move you towards being ready to select, apply, and be accepted to a great college. You need to be prepared for the challenges you will face once you arrive and start your college education. The following tips and details can help you prepare for academic success in college.
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Having High Expectations For All Students
More than five decades of research show that teacher expectations profoundly affect student outcomes. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, researchers from the Center for American Progress found that 10th graders whose teachers had high expectations were more than three times more likely to graduate from college than students whose teachers held lower expectations. Read more about how some schools hold and communicate high expectations for all students.
Take Or Retake The Sat And/or Act
If you havent taken the SAT or ACT, this should be one of the first priorities during senior year.
You will want to leave plenty of time to retake the test if needed.
If you have already taken the test but need a higher score, this should also be accomplished early in the fall semester.
Later in the fall semester, you will already be applying to colleges, so you will need these scores as soon as possible.
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Break Things Down Year
Once you know the type of courses you will need for the degree you want to pursue, its time for an actionable plan. Sit down with your counselor and create a four-year blueprint to help you reach your goals. A multi-year plan will help ensure you have time to complete all the requirements necessary while still allowing you to enjoy your high school years.
Your counselor can help you draft a flexible strategy that will outline what you need to accomplish each year to realize your dreams. No student wants to be trudging through an endless schedule of educational requirements without a break. However, you also dont want to fall behind and become overwhelmed with the coursework involved. A four-year master plan can break down the tasks you need to accomplish into bitesize steps that still leave room for having a life and enjoying other activities.
Learn More About Colleges While A Senior In High School
Attending college is a big decision and you must get as much information as you possibly can. Start attending college fairs, visit college campuses, speak to students attending the program you wish to join, and write to the faculty. Every college in the United States encourages prospective students to visit campus take this opportunity to learn more about college life.
Join Facebook pages and Twitter discussions to see what students are saying about the college. Look up college alumni and see what they are doing. Some colleges have a very high research activity. If research sounds interesting to you, then consider applying to these colleges since they receive massive amounts of funding from federal organizations and generally have Nobel Prize winning faculty on board.
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Start Preparing For College In High School With Cappex
If youve made it to the end of this article, you now have 4+ years of college preparation advice under your belt. Want more tips on college preparation for high school students? Ready to make your college search as successful as possible? At Cappex, we have the resources to help. Create an account with us to search colleges, search scholarships, or look at majors. Your path to college starts here.
Contributions to this article by Barbara DiAlberto – She has been a College Advisor and Consultant for 18 years, both in the school system and privately. She has helped thousands of students get into college. As the Territory Manager for The Princeton Review, Mrs. DiAlberto is still helping students get into college.
Start Defining Your Dream School
When it comes to deciding where you want to attend college, Irving suggested giving thought to what type of college environment you want, as this can make the decision-making process smoother.
Start thinking about what you would like in a college, Irving said. This is so important because, in the next few years, you will start to get a ton of information from schools. By starting to think now about the kind of college experience you want, youll be able to filter that information and decide what schools are worth looking into when the time comes.
There are large universities with thousands of students and smaller schools with modest class sizes. You can stay close to home and family at an in-state school or branch out to attend college in another state. By thinking about what factors like these and others that are important to you, you can narrow down the many options available.
Of course, involve your family as much as you can! Their support can be a great resource if you have questions, or if youre the first in your family to go to college, then you can use this experience to learn together so youre all well-prepared by the time you enter college.
Remember, its never too early to begin planning for college, even as a freshman in high school. Are you interested in learning more about the student experience at Azusa Pacific University? Take a virtual tour of campus and discover more about the admissions process.
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