Expert: jessalyn - 3/5/2001

Question
I am a junior in high school and I'm totally lost with the college thing.  I really want to go to a good school where I will be able to challenge myself, but I don't know what I'm doing.  My parents didn't go to college and my guidance counselor has to take care of hundreds of kids and doesn't have time for me, so I have absolutely no guidance with this whatsoever.  I have no idea where to start.  I just need to know what kind of college is good for me, what my major should be, and what I should start doing right now to make me a more desireable applicant.  Any advice at all would be invaluable.  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Christie!
 I know you are very confused right now, and I completely understand the confusion you are experiencing.  Both my parents didn't go to college, and my guidance couselor didn't help at all.  The only way that you will get what you want from college is to do it yourself.  Your parents and guidance couselor and other people may be able to help you, but first and foremost college is your responsibility. By junior year, you might have been getting brochures in the mail from colleges interested in you.  Some high schools have their upperclassmen fill out something called a student search, which sends your information to various colleges around the country.  If you didn't have that, don't worry!  Have you taken the PSAT and the SAT yet?  When you take both of these tests, there is a student survey on the back.  When you fill it out, your information will be sent to various schools around the country who will send you more information about their school and the programs and activities they offer.  Also, you may send your SAT scores to four colleges free of charge, so if you have an interest in a particular college, you might want to put them down to get your SAT scores.
 A few great places to start to look for colleges that best serve your interests is to buy a book (such as the Fisk Guide to Colleges, which lists all sorts of info on every college in the U.S) to help you get an idea of what schools interest you.  I strongly recommend that you visit www.embark.com, a college prep web site that will match you with schools that suit your interests.  They will show you what schools you might be interested in, and you can request more information about the schools if you want.
 As for choosing your major, well, you don't need to worry about that right now. College students don't declare their majors until the end of their sophomore year, so you will have plenty of time to decide what you want to do.  Your major should be something that interests you.  What kind of job would you one day like to have?  What do like to learn about in school?  Some of the best advice I ever got was "Study what you love."  Some schools have programs that let you create your own major, a combination of different subject areas that interest you (this is the program that I am in)  Two schools with programs like this are New York University and Boston University. But don't worry about your major just yet, you might change your mind in the future, and it's perfectly normal to go into college with an undecided major.  However, if you have some idea as to what interests you, you might want to choose a school that has an exceptional good program in that area of study.
 When choosing a college, so many things come into factor.  Do you want to stay at home or live at school?  How far away would you be comfortable with living? Would you prefer to live in a big city, a small town, or a rural campus?  What activities (such as sports and clubs) interest you?  Does Greek life interest you?  Do you want a rigorous academic environment or a more casual approach to learning?  Does studying abroad interest you?  Do you want a school with a religious affiliation?  Would you prefer to go to a public or a private university?  (A public university usually costs less than a private university, if you go to the public university within your state)  Some reasons NOT to choose a college- because your friends are going there, because you want to move as far away from your parents as possible, because your boyfriend or crush is going there, or because your parents want you to go there.  A college should fit your personality.  You should try to answer the above questions, take the match test on www.embark.com and go through a book, and see what happens.  Visit the web sites of the colleges that interest you.  Request information.  You will find some schools that interest you.  Talk to your parents about what you are interested in, and if possible, plan a visit to some of the colleges this summer to get a feel of what they are like.  A visit to campus can help solidify whether or not you want to apply to that college or not.  Also, from time to time, colleges provide information sessions in your hometown or in the nearby big city.  This information sessions are usually held in a hotel, and it is a great opportunity to talk to current students and some of the admissions officers.  Call the college, talk to someone. If your school sponsers a college night, go to it to get info. Sometimes colleges will come to your school (especially if you go to a big school) to recruit. By the time October of your senior year comes around, you should have a list of about six or seven schools that you are interested in applying to.  When you apply for colleges, make sure you have selected a "safety" school.  A safety school is a college that you like that you know that you will be accepted to if you apply.  A safety school is a back-up in case you don't get admitted to your first choice school.  But be careful of sending applications to every possible college- application fees usually cost about $25-$50 per college.  One thing to not worry about when you first apply to colleges is financial aid.  Don't pick a school to apply to based on cost- you can get scholarships and grants, and federal aid as well.  You might also take out loans to help pay for college.  Find out what kind of aid schools offer, but don't nix a school simply because you think you can't afford it- wait until after you have applied and gotten a financial aid package before you make any kind of decision.
 What do schools look for when they select applicants?  Well, the first most important thing is your grades.  How are you doing academically?  Do you take challenging courses?  If you are taking honors courses or advanced placement courses, colleges will have more respect for you because you are really challenging yourself.  It is better to have a B in advanced placement biology than an A in biology.  If your school has these challenging courses, take them.  Colleges also look at the SAT score.  Some colleges may require you to take the SAT II, but check with them before taking it.  You can retake the SAT as many times as you like, and the more you study for it, the better prepared you will be.  You might want to take an SAT prep class, or buy a book on the SAT.  For more info about college, AP courses and the SAT, visit www.collegeboard.com.  Another thing about the SAT, you can cross scores.  What that means is that if you take the SAT and get a 530 in math and a 670 in verbal, for a total score of 1200, you can retake the test.  Now suppose this time you get a 600 math and a 650 verbal, for a total score of 1250.  Well, since you did better in verbal on the first test and better in math on the second test, you take both your highest scores, a 670 and a 600, for a 1270 total.  The SATs are something that the college looks at when deciding to admit you, but your grades are more important than the SAT, so work on doing well in all your classes.  Class rank (if your school has it) is also looked at, but the most important thing is that you are challenging yourself, taking hard classes, and getting good grades.
 Colleges will also look to see what kinds of activities you have been involved in (such as sports, clubs and part time jobs)  Colleges want to know that you are going to get involved when you come to their school.  So it is good to be involved in something.  You don't have to be involved in thousands of clubs, colleges would rather have you involved and fully commited to one or two things that you are passionate about.  If you say you are involved in everything but not committed to one thing for more than a few hours a week, you come across as flighty and indecisive and not committed.  If there is something that you are passionate about, go out and do it!  Find a teacher at school who really understands you and you know would write you a great recommendation letter.  She/he can write your college recommendations, which are something that colleges also take into consideration when they look at your application.  And finally, colleges also take a look at the essay.  The essay is a very important part of the application, because it is your chance to get personal with the college.  It is your chance to show your true colors, so use it to your advantage.  Write from your heart.  Don't write what you think they want to hear.  Write what you want to say.  Some colleges also may want an interview.  This is a great way to get personal with a college, and if you have good people skills, this can really enhance your application.  
  I hope this helps.  I know it's a lot to swallow, but you will be alright.  Just don't stress over it, and in the meantime, in between college decisions and the SATs, don't forget to enjoy your senior year of high school!  It is one to cherish.  Here's a quick timeline of what you should be doing and when:

JUNIOR YEAR

April- May
  Take the SATs again, and prep for them well.  Keep up with your classes and get involved with activities.  Start to request information from colleges and check out which ones interest you.  Talk to your parents about what you are interested in.  Select challenging courses to take for your senior year.

Summer
 Take the opportunity to take campus visits to some colleges, and information sessions in a city near you.  Read all you can about colleges that you like, and try to spend some time this summer involved in activities that interest you, to get an idea about your major.

SENIOR YEAR
September
 Make an appointment with your guidance couselor to discuss what colleges you are thinking of.  If you have any questions, ask her.  Do well in your classes.  Start to narrow your list of prospective colleges.

October
   Take the SATs one last time to bring up your score, and be sure to send those scores to your college choices.  Also, now is the time to call the colleges that you want to apply to and request an application, if they didn't mail you one already.  You will have to go to the guidance office to have your transcripts send to the colleges you are applying to, and start to ask your teachers to write letters of recommendation for you.  NOTE- I strongly urge you to get your applications in early, because when November rolls around the guidance office is going to be a zoo and everyone is going to be there.  By going early, you beat the crowds and save major headaches.  Also it makes sure that your applications get to the school on time. Look for outside scholarships as well.  Go to www.scholarships.com, check out your guidance office, and the bookstore.  There are many books out there with lists of scholarships.

November-January
  Finish applications if needed.  The deadline for most college applications is January 15.

January
  Fill out the FAFSa (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)  You need your parents to help you out with this. The FAFSA will help access your family's financial need, and whether you are available for federal aid in the form of grants, loans and work study.  You must send the FAFSA to the schools to which you have applied so that they can offer you a financial aid package.  More info- www.fafsa.com

February-March-April
  You will start to hear back from colleges.  When you are admitted, you will be offered a financial aid package.  This tells how much in scholarships and grants and such that you have been awarded.  Sit down and look at each of the schools that you were admitted to.  Weigh your options- think about programs, academics, activities, financial aid packages, and decide what school you would like to go to.  Send in your letter of acceptance and thanks to the school you choose, and send in a letter of decline to the school you will not attend, but thank them anyway for admitting you.

This is a rough overview of what you will be going through.  I hope that I have helped in some way.  If you have any more questions at all, feel free to contact me.  Best of luck with your search!
   ~jessalyn