During the last year of high school, Seniors are often pressured to decide what they will pursue the following year. There are many different options that a student would be able to choose. They could go to college right away, or they could wait a year. There is also the opportunity for people to wait a year and serve in Alaska, Oregon, and other locations. But for those that are going to go on to college next year, there is a long process to go through.
The first step that seniors should take is signing up for college visits. These are a very good way to determine what college atmosphere fits the best. Every student will have different colleges that they will want to visit. They would not have to visit all the ones they are interested in; it would be helpful to visit just the top three on their list. Katie Shank (‘14) mentioned, “I found visiting a college to be helpful, because if you’re just not excited about your visit, then maybe that college isn’t the best place for you.” Having these college visits taken care of will make it easier to apply to college. After being on visits, students should really consider how student life is on campus and how well they like the professors, because that could make or break what college a student attends. “It’s difficult to weigh so many different variables against each other- scholarships, financial aid, your major, student life, professors, cross cultural programs, and much more are all important in choosing a college,” observes Katie Shank (‘14).
Step two in the process is applying to college. A lot of the time, colleges will offer fee waivers for students that want to apply, but the students need to apply early. Students should apply to all of the colleges that interest them. It doesn’t matter if they are accepted to more than one college, they only need to confirm their acceptance to the college they really want to attend. Adam Krahn (‘14) stated, “I have applied to three colleges so far and have met all the early application deadlines for these colleges. I am going to apply to Albion College before this month is over.” If students have applied to more than one college, they should make sure to weigh important factors, such as the type of education that is being offered, and how much they are willing to pay. On all applications there is a section for SAT scores. Some colleges rely on these more heavily than others. Some colleges may not accept a student if their SAT scores are too low, and some colleges won’t care about your score. Students should make sure to take the SAT before they go to college. It won’t affect the application, it will impact what kind of scholarships the student is eligible for.
Another important factor that scholarships consider is a student’s GPA. If a student has a 4.0 GPA, they will be granted more scholarships than someone with a GPA of 3.0. In other words, grades are money when it comes to college. So students should do the best they can in terms of assignments and assessments so they can be eligible for more scholarships. Scholarships are important because when a student graduates, they won’t have to pay as much in student loans because the scholarship lowered the cost.
Once a student has been accepted to a college, the process is much easier. The next step for them would be to take placement tests in whatever is required for them. These could be Math, English, and maybe Spanish. The tests are necessary just to see where a student should be placed for their first year of college. There is no such thing as a bad score on these tests. They are just used to place a student where they would succeed the most in a subject. When these tests are completed, all the student has to do is sign up for classes.
As shown above, the process of applying to colleges is a long one, and can be made easier with the help of a counselor. They will be more than happy to help students that ask. Best of luck to students that choose to complete this process. It will be worth it.
~Brianna Liras