Depending on what grade you’re in, you may or may not have already started to feel the pressure of knowing what to do with your life. There are so many options - entering the workforce, enlisting in the military, going to college - and it can be stressful knowing where to go in life and how to get there. For underclassmen, there are still a couple of years ahead to decide, but for upperclassmen it can feel like the pressure is on, especially if you plan on going to college, to have your whole life planned out ahead of you. But not to worry, the stress of the college planning process can easily be brought to a minimum if you break it down into a few simple steps.
Are You Ready for the College Planning Process?
BY NATHALIE FORTIER
Depending on what grade you’re in, you may or may not have already started to feel the pressure of knowing what to do with your life. There are so many options – entering the workforce, enlisting in the military, going to college – and it can be stressful knowing where to go in life and how to get there. For underclassmen, there are still a couple of years ahead to decide, but for upperclassmen it can feel like the pressure is on, especially if you plan on going to college, to have your whole life planned out ahead of you. But not to worry, the stress of the college planning process can easily be brought to a minimum if you break it down into a few simple steps.
During freshman and sophomore year it is important to think about your personal interests and possible careers that you may enjoy. If you’re completely unsure of what you want to do, many sites like the College Board have resources and tools to help you find a career or major based on your interests. It may seem too far away to really start thinking about it, but it is helpful to know what you might be interested in studying in college so that you can choose classes in high school that will be beneficial to you. Here at Coventry students have the option of partaking in the Career and Tech program, a great opportunity for students who know they want to study a particular field to get a head start. But if none of these fields are fit for you, you still have the option of taking one of the many electives the school offers in each subject area. When you apply to colleges, many of them will check if you have taken classes in high school that could be helpful to your major, so it’s important that you start taking these classes as early as possible.
Once you have some idea of what you want to do in life, you should start looking at colleges, one of the hardest parts of the process. There are many factors in choosing a school like location, cost, activities, and whether or not they have a good program for the major you’re interested in. College search engines like the one offered by the College Board allow students to input their decisions on several of these factors and narrow down the list of colleges best suited for them. Then you can compare these schools and choose a few that you think fit best for you. During this process of selecting a school, you should consider visiting and taking a tour to make sure you like the school’s atmosphere and the people there.
Unfortunately, deciding on a college is not the final step – you still have to make sure you get in. Be familiar with the school’s admissions requirements like SAT score, class rank, GPA, and any other requirements they may have, and work hard to get as close to these numbers as possible. Your GPA and class rank might be hard to change, especially if you’re an upperclassman, but you can take the SAT as many times as you need to maximize your score. It’s also a good idea to apply to one or two safe schools that you know for sure will accept you.
It’s no secret that college is expensive, and it’s very unlikely that you’re going to have the money to pay for your schooling upfront. Between tuition and room and board over the course of at least four years, students can rack up a lifetime of debt in student loans, and you’re going to want to avoid this as much as possible. There are plenty of scholarships available, and plenty of sites to help you find those that apply to you. Many of them have no necessary requirements, making them super easy to apply for – just remember that no amount of money is too small, especially since so many of these “small” scholarships will add up.
The college planning process is no walk in the park; it takes a lot of time, energy, and stress, but the important part is remembering that there are many resources to help guide you through the process. On the bright side, they always say that the hardest part about college is getting in!
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