By Courtney Deans
Preparing for college is a long process and best done when you start before your senior year. That doesn’t mean that senior year is too late to start thinking about college. You will just have to work a bit faster than your peers.
The very first thing you want to do is think about what two majors you would like to do most. You should pick something that you truly feel passionate about.
There are hundreds of majors at each school so you won't feel as though you are boxed into something like STEM, or law that you aren’t interested in. Still, the freedom of picking through all those options can feel overwhelming. All though most schools allow you to change a major before your 3rd year of school, having a decision already made will likely save you money and time.
The next thing you want to know is what kind of degree you want to earn. Choices to consider are; trade school, 2 year college, or public / private 4 year university. Then you want to decide on a kind of campus. Do you want to go to school internationally, in-state or out? If you want to go international or out of state, pick a destination on the map. Do you want to attend an online school, a big state school, or maybe a small liberal arts college? Niche is a good site to help you narrow down your list of schools to apply to.
The next most important thing to do is think about how you're going to pay for your education. Will you try to pay through scholarships, grants, loans, or can you pay out of pocket? When you're thinking about these it is of utmost importance you file a FAFSA. That will help you get government assistance and help you find possible scholarships. Scholarship searches can be difficult but you should not only search online but ask adults in your community if they know of any scholarship options. You should also contact school sponsors in your area about scholarship opportunities you have for a specific school.
After you’ve decided on your preferred majors, degree, what kind of campus you’d like, and how much money you have to pay. you should compile a list of schools you would like to attend. Make sure your list of schools are within the parameters of your gpa and SAT/ACT scores or you’ll be disappointed if you're not accepted. Make a list of at least 3 schools to apply to. You should have one dream school and two back up schools you like just as much as the dream school.
Make sure to check the schools you are planning to apply to and see if they require standardized test scores. If they do, register for the tests early and begin studying so that if you do poorly you can retake it until you get your desired score for college applications and scholarships. Also check what other materials the schools need such as: teacher recommendations, transcripts, essays, application fees and deadlines. Make sure you have all these ready for your application to send in at least two weeks before applications close.
The last step is to complete your application process is to hope for the best, and select your desired school and go there. But try not to get lost in the application process and let go of what is also needed for school because the most important step is to graduate!
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