OfftoCollege.com

Intro: Starting on the Road to College

So you are starting your last year in High School.
Make it count.

You should have a good idea what your plans are when you graduate. We will now begin the planning steps for getting yourself accepted into a post-high school program of your choice.

Follow these steps carefully. You need to plan accordingly so that everything is ready to go

 

Important Note for Seniors:

If you haven't made any plans regarding college or post-high school careers, link to our late starter file to catch up on things that should be done to meet important Fall deadlines.

• First Step:
  keep your grades up. Colleges will look at grades when reviewing your application. It is important that you maintain or increase your grade performance level during your final year
  
  
• Second Step:
  meet with your high school or guidance counselor. You should do it early. They are valuable players in your college planning process. Discuss with them your planning and testing dates. Use them extensively as you research and select colleges.
  
  
• Third Step:
  you should have all of your college search information listed and profiled. If you haven't made any college plans, you need to review our "Late Starter" file and get going. Important deadlines are due in October.
  
  
• Fourth Step:
  if you are considering early admission, check "early admission" deadlines and get your application ready. Many "early application" deadlines are due by November 01.
  
  
• Fifth Step:
  you need to get your application items started and completed. These items include essays, letters of recommendations, transcripts and other information.
  
  
• Sixth Step:
  prepare and register to take the schedule exams required for college admission. These exams include the SAT I, SAT II and ACT. Check your school for which exam.
  
  
• Seventh Step:
  consider taking Advanced Placement Exams or the CLEP tests that are administered in the Spring. This may save you time and money by testing out of some college courses. Speak with your high school counselor and administrators about CLEP testing.
  
  
• Eighth Step:
  meet with college representatives that visit your school. Get a feel of the kind of college you would like to attend.
  
  
• Ninth Step:
  keep a record of what you find in your research. This will help compare programs when you need to make a decision:
  
  
  • Use our FREE download tool for tracking:
    
    click here 

Task 1: Finalize Your College Search Selection

It's time to review your college search and narrow your selection down to those schools that meet your career objectives. Meet with your school's guidance counselor to discuss your decision.

 

Your search categories include:

1. search list of 2-3 schools that you could definitely get in
2. search list of 4-5 schools that you could probably get in
3. search list of 7-8 schools that you would like to get in
   

• Budget how much you can afford for application submission. If the submission costs for 16 or more schools is too high, narrow your search to 3-3-3.
  
• Take a final look at your schools to make sure they meet your career requirements. Add or remove schools from your list.
  
• Make sure you meet the school requirements (GPA, transcripts, exam scores, etc.). No sense wasting application fees on schools where you don't meet requirements.
  
• Contact those schools that made your final cut. Request an application and other information such as deadlines, required fees, financial aid, etc. Find out if they need your official transcripts at the time you send in your application.

 

College and University Search:

• Finalize Your College Search :
  
  — universities by State
  — community colleges by State
  — career schools by Type
  — online schools by Academic
  
  link to: college search directory

 

What should you look for in a school:

• private or public
• size
• location
• type of curriculum
• quality of education
• cost
• admission requirements
• help with financial aid
• housing resources
• nearby facilities
• campus life
• security
• lifestyle

Task 2: Compare and Rank Colleges

Compare your choice of schools head-to-head and take a virtual tour of the campus. Begin grouping your college choices and rank them based on your selection criteria:

• College Comparison and Profiles
  compare colleges by region and cost:
  http://nces.ed.gov
  you can profile two or more colleges on cost, student size, teacher ratio, and other criteria:
  www.collegeboard.com
  
  
• College Rankings
  view college rankings by school criteria and other rankings
  view rankings in our tool set
  
  
• Take a Virtual Tour
  this is good place to start prior to making an actual visit. See online videos of school campus and other virtual places:
  www.campustours.com/
  

 

You should plan to make a college visit before submitting your application.

The cost to attend college can be high for many schools. So make sure this is the right school for you. Start to arrange campus visits with your select colleges and meet with college recruiters that visit your school:

• Plan to visit the college for a full day.
  Attend when the school is in session, if possible.
  
  
• Arrange an interview with the admission office
  or other "campus visit" groups
  
  
• Meet with the financial aid office
  to get all related financial aid information offered by that school
  
  
• When doing a visit,
  check out the library, student unions, sporting facilities, and academic centers. Walk the campus to familiarize yourself with the layout.
  
  
• Review housing facilities and dormitories
  to determine whether to live on-campus or off-campus housing. Note the college rules for housing. Some colleges require first-time Freshmen to live in dormitories.
  
  
• Schedule time to speak with students and faculty. Visit the clubs and societies that are part of the campus life. Check campus rules, safety programs, and facilities that maintain the safety of the campus.
  
  
• Drive around the surrounding community
  to familiarize yourself with restaurants, theaters, rec areas, job opportunities, etc.

Task 3: Prepare for the College Application

You need to start your college application to meet submission deadlines:

Early Admission: deadlines are in October - November
Regular Admissions: deadlines are in early January

 

Key elements of the application

College Application:

Request an application form from each of your colleges. You can find it online or request it from the school.

The package will include the application form, submission requirements (essays, transcripts and other) and self-addressed envelopes for the letters of recommendations.

See if your school use the COMMON application form
the COMMON application form is used by 300+ schools. This can save you time from completing multiple application forms: see form at ww.commonapp.org

you can save the COMMON application form online until you are ready to submit it electronically to participating schools

or get the application from your school:

— link to your college to submit your application form online or to request a application packet:
use our college search directory for your school's web site


Early Decision Note:
you need to decide if you are going to do early admission. If so, you will need to have your application completed and ready to submit between October and November of your senior year.

The advantage of early decision is that you will know whether you have been accepted by early January. The disadvantage of early decision is that you may be legally bound to attend that school if you are accepted. So decide on early decisions for schools that are your first choice.

 

College Essays:

Your college admissions application will most likely require 1- 2 essays. Use the weekends to write and edit your essays. The essay is an important decisional parameter for college admission.

Essay resource and editing services:
use this resource to edit your essay — you will expert advice from professionals who are experts in college essay review
EssayEdge.com

Quick view in our tool set: essay writing tips
Quick view in our tool set: essay samples

 

College Recommendations:

Most college admissions require 1-2 recommendations from teachers and/or community leaders. Select who should write your recommendation. Give the person plenty of time (about 3-4 weeks prior to your deadline).

Also provide them a short autobiography, a list of your outside activities, school transcript and a self-addressed envelope as instructed by your college. Please note that the teacher works with hundreds of students. So give them plenty of time.

 

School Transcripts:

Double check your transcripts when you start your senior year. You will need to forward these transcripts to colleges for admission review. Make sure you have the following:

• all grades are posted correctly
• all required courses for graduation are listed
• all required courses for college admittance are listed
  
  It is important that these transcripts are correct and up-to-date. If not, meet with school administration to repair any errors.

 

Extracurricular's:

Take a swim, tennis, karate or other class over the fall semester (either with your school or community group). You want to show well-roundness in your application. Just the right amount of studies (with good grades) and outside activities. Don't think that a lot of extracurricular activities are a must. You just need to show a balance.

More advice: download this FREE article from ivyedge.com
"Secrets to College Admission"


How to build a well-rounded character:

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Complete guide on discipline and character building. Has illustrations on the building blocks of success.

view our "building success" module: FREE downloads

Task 4: Study for the College Exams

Get with your guidance counselor about the college entrance exams that will be administered this Fall. Don't miss the registration deadlines.

College Entrance Exams:
colleges require different college entrance exams. You need to check with your college to determine which exam to take. Many students will sit for both exams to make sure they meet qualifications from all colleges.

When you register for exams, make sure test scores will be sent to your select colleges.

There are two types of exams:

1. SAT I and SAT II:
   
   SAT Reasoning (formerly SAT I).
   The SAT Reasoning Test is a three-hour test that measures a student's ability to reason problems instead of general knowledge. It has three sections: writing, critical reading, and math. Most of the questions are multiple-choice.
   
   SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT II). The SAT Subject Tests measure the student's knowledge in specific subjects: English, mathematics, history, science, and languages. SAT Subject Tests are primarily multiple-choice, and each lasts one hour.
   
   more information: collegeboard.org
   
   
2. ACT College Exam:
   The ACT Assessment® is used by some colleges. The exam has four multiple-choice tests: English, reading, mathematics, and science reasoning.
   
   more information: actstudent.org

 

Preparation Guides:

1. PSAT (practice exams):
   the PSAT is the test prep exam for the SAT tests. The PSAT is usually offered in October and November through your school. Check with your school counselor for dates.
   see collegeboard.org for information
   
   
2. ACT test preparation:
   some colleges use the ACT test. You need to check your college to determine which test they use for admittance.
   www.actstudent.org
   
   
3. Kaplan Testing Services:
   Kaplan offers online and in-room simulation tests with guidance on weak points that need to be improved.
   www.kaptest.com
   
   
4. Buy college entrance exam prep books:
   click here for college prep material

Task 5: Meet With Your Guidance Counselor

Meet again with your guidance counselor as soon as possible.

Be prepared to review your plans and college selection. Review your transcripts to make sure that you graduate with the required credits and courses to get into the college(s) of your choice.

 

Items to coordinate with your guidance counselor:

• the availability of and enrollment in Advanced Placement classes
  
• the schedules for the college entrance exams (includes SAT I and II, and ACT). Discuss with your counselor on the exam required to get into your college of choice
  
• the admission requirements to college including GPA, credits, exam type and scores, etc.
  
• discuss whether or not you need to send official copies of your transcripts at the time of application.
  
• note if you are doing early submission so that your transcripts can be sent in to meet early admission deadlines.
  
• review all other information related to your college planning tasks.

 

Something Extra
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High School underway:
stay connected with FREE online academic resources:

• No registration required to use this valuable site:
  http://highschoolhub.org
  
  

 

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