College Prep
Gabrielle Rabold 22' Staff Writer
It's the time of year where juniors are becoming seniors and the stress over college is beginning once again. The best thing to do to combat this growing anxiety is to address it head on! The perfect time to start is during the summer. Yes, I know summer is the time to relax, but you’ll thank yourself later for getting it done early.
The first thing that should be down is to take the SAT or start studying for any college board tests. Even though a lot of colleges have shifted away from the standardized tests, it is still important to take the SAT or any other college board test because it could help you in the long run. At least consider taking the test once, because you might be surprised about your score and it can make you stand out compared to other candidates during the college admissions process. I remember being so thankful when I had completed the SAT early and did not have to worry about studying and then taking the SAT so close to the application deadline.
The next thing that should be done is consider what colleges you are interested in attending, and then determine what type of college they are to you. In other words, is a college a reach, target, or safety school. To determine what colleges are reaches or targets, you must look at your GPA, extracurriculars, and if you took a standardized test, your score. It's safe to have two reaches, two targets and two safeties. A reach school is a college that you are unsure if you will get in or not, and even though that is scary, it is important to challenge yourself. A target school is one where you meet all the requirements and have a pretty good shot of being accepted. And finally a safety school is where you have at least an 80% chance of admission. Remember not everyone will have the same reaches or safeties, and that is okay.
During the summer time you have the most time to visit colleges, so take advantage of it! After knowing what schools you will most likely be applying to, it is time to visit! This is an exciting opportunity and can help students determine whether or not a big university or a smaller college is right for them. In addition, this is the time to find out what social and sport life is like on campus and what feels right for you. Eileen Williams, a senior at Howard High School said, “ To start preparing for college last summer I toured multiple colleges… I toured different types of colleges; small, large, urban, and rural to decide what I liked.” Not to mention this is the perfect time to buy merchandise! As for me, visiting colleges really helped me narrow down my application pool because I got a sneak peek on what life on campus is like.
Now this next step is not entirely required however I highly recommend beginning your personal college essay sooner rather than later. I know it is summer and school work is not on your mind, but it is important to at least begin some say the most important part of the application process. The personal essay is where colleges see who you are as a person behind all your grades and extracurriculars, so it's important that your essay stands out. I am not expecting you to write your essay throughout the summer, but try to brainstorm ideas of topics and a general layout of your essay. This will also help you in school because in English class one of the first assignments is to write your personal essay.
The next step is probably one of the most nerve wracking steps but apply! However you should first research when all your applications are due, so that you do not miss the date. In addition, you must determine whether or not you wish to apply early action, early decision, or regular. Early action is when you apply early, but still have the opportunity to deny your admission while early decision is when you apply early, but you must attend that college if you get in. Regular decision usually has a later date which allows students more time to better prepare their personal essays and overall application, and yet again this admission option allows you to choose whether or not you wish to go to the college after you applied. It is very important to know how you apply to each college so you know the due date and whether or not you are bound to a decision.
Sadly college is very expensive and if you do not want to be drowning in student debt I highly recommend applying for scholarships to help out in the long run. Another senior from Howard High School, Ethan Ruocco-Berry stated, “ One thing I wish I did a little earlier would be applying to external scholarships so that I could apply to as many as possible.” There are a ton of scholarship opportunities either in the community or at the college itself, and many of them require essays and personal statements so they take time to complete. FAFSA is another great resource to get some money for college, but almost every senior in the United States will be applying, so the likelihood that you will get money is slim. It is first come first serve, so I would try to fill it out as soon as possible once it opens on October 1st.
The first thing that should be down is to take the SAT or start studying for any college board tests. Even though a lot of colleges have shifted away from the standardized tests, it is still important to take the SAT or any other college board test because it could help you in the long run. At least consider taking the test once, because you might be surprised about your score and it can make you stand out compared to other candidates during the college admissions process. I remember being so thankful when I had completed the SAT early and did not have to worry about studying and then taking the SAT so close to the application deadline.
The next thing that should be done is consider what colleges you are interested in attending, and then determine what type of college they are to you. In other words, is a college a reach, target, or safety school. To determine what colleges are reaches or targets, you must look at your GPA, extracurriculars, and if you took a standardized test, your score. It's safe to have two reaches, two targets and two safeties. A reach school is a college that you are unsure if you will get in or not, and even though that is scary, it is important to challenge yourself. A target school is one where you meet all the requirements and have a pretty good shot of being accepted. And finally a safety school is where you have at least an 80% chance of admission. Remember not everyone will have the same reaches or safeties, and that is okay.
During the summer time you have the most time to visit colleges, so take advantage of it! After knowing what schools you will most likely be applying to, it is time to visit! This is an exciting opportunity and can help students determine whether or not a big university or a smaller college is right for them. In addition, this is the time to find out what social and sport life is like on campus and what feels right for you. Eileen Williams, a senior at Howard High School said, “ To start preparing for college last summer I toured multiple colleges… I toured different types of colleges; small, large, urban, and rural to decide what I liked.” Not to mention this is the perfect time to buy merchandise! As for me, visiting colleges really helped me narrow down my application pool because I got a sneak peek on what life on campus is like.
Now this next step is not entirely required however I highly recommend beginning your personal college essay sooner rather than later. I know it is summer and school work is not on your mind, but it is important to at least begin some say the most important part of the application process. The personal essay is where colleges see who you are as a person behind all your grades and extracurriculars, so it's important that your essay stands out. I am not expecting you to write your essay throughout the summer, but try to brainstorm ideas of topics and a general layout of your essay. This will also help you in school because in English class one of the first assignments is to write your personal essay.
The next step is probably one of the most nerve wracking steps but apply! However you should first research when all your applications are due, so that you do not miss the date. In addition, you must determine whether or not you wish to apply early action, early decision, or regular. Early action is when you apply early, but still have the opportunity to deny your admission while early decision is when you apply early, but you must attend that college if you get in. Regular decision usually has a later date which allows students more time to better prepare their personal essays and overall application, and yet again this admission option allows you to choose whether or not you wish to go to the college after you applied. It is very important to know how you apply to each college so you know the due date and whether or not you are bound to a decision.
Sadly college is very expensive and if you do not want to be drowning in student debt I highly recommend applying for scholarships to help out in the long run. Another senior from Howard High School, Ethan Ruocco-Berry stated, “ One thing I wish I did a little earlier would be applying to external scholarships so that I could apply to as many as possible.” There are a ton of scholarship opportunities either in the community or at the college itself, and many of them require essays and personal statements so they take time to complete. FAFSA is another great resource to get some money for college, but almost every senior in the United States will be applying, so the likelihood that you will get money is slim. It is first come first serve, so I would try to fill it out as soon as possible once it opens on October 1st.