Besides keeping up your grades this year, here are some valuable tips:
- Discuss with your parents what your hopes and goals are, and determine how you can work together as a team to research, visit, apply to, and pay for your college education!
- Develop a strong and positive relationship with your guidance counselor, making sure that you discuss your goals for college. Take advantage of opportunities to spend time with the counselor in order to start searching for schools that meet your needs.
- Plan a solid, diverse and challenging schedule for your senior year; consider taking electives that might lead you to an exciting career path.
- Check the requirements of colleges in which you are interested so that you can plan ahead with scheduling and SAT subject tests. You don’t want to drop a course that will put you out of the running for some of the schools you are considering.
- Think about which teachers you have this year (and who taught you last year) who might know you well enough to write your recommendations in the fall. You might consider asking them at the end of this year; some teachers like to get a head start and write the drafts over the summer!
- Take the opportunity this semester to develop your leadership skills! Volunteer to chair committees or events; participate in activities that might put you in line for leadership roles in your senior year.
- Volunteer for community service on a regular basis.
- Plan for a summer internship, job or valuable experience for the upcoming summer.
- Consider taking a week or several long weekends in the spring to visit schools in which you already have an interest. Schools empty out in May, so if you want to see the campuses buzzing with activity as well as to talk to current students, plan accordingly.
- Take guided tours of as many schools as possible. Check out www.collegeessaywhiz.com for suggestions about what to look for! Be sure to collect brochures and take photos that will distinguish one school from another later on.
- If you are interested in a particular school or program, contact a professor who might be willing to meet and talk to you while you are there.
- Contact us early in the spring to book time and an “early bird” rate to guide your steps in the application process!
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