How do i start preparing for college

Familiarize yourself with standard college entrance exams and what is required or recommended by the colleges that interest you. Some colleges also recommend or require the optional writing portion of the exams. You will need to decide which test you will take, and some students take both standardized tests.

It is best to take college entrance exams during your junior year, although some motivated high school sophomores will take the tests just see how they do and as part of their preparation. There are no easy shortcuts. The best way to prepare for college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT is to take challenging coursework while in high school and to learn the material well. Beyond that, it is helpful to practice and learn tips to help you do your best. Ask your guidance counselor for suggestions that are specific to you and how you test.

Many students need to learn strategies for pacing themselves since the tests are timed. Many students choose to take the entrance exams more than once. You can use your prior results to focus your preparation for the future test. For example, if math was your lowest score, spend time reviewing for that portion of the test.

That will allow you to send your test scores to the colleges at the beginning of your senior year. Information aggregation websites like U. News, Niche, Chegg and others can also be used to learn about different colleges and universities.

If you learn about a school that offers a particular major, write it down. If you hear about a Study Abroad program that sounds amazing, add this to your notes.

If you had a great campus tour, be sure to record your experiences. Include notes about scholarships, internship programs, professors, research programs, outdoor opportunities, campus clubs, and more. As you move towards your senior year, you will narrow your list of colleges that you think are the best fit for you. All the information you have gathered—as well as all the self-discovery you have gained during high school—will help you make the best decision.

Make notes of all application deadlines, guidelines, and any other requirements. If you asked teachers and mentors for letters of recommendation, create reminders to follow up and confirm the college has received them.

Plan time into your schedule during the start of your senior year so you can properly focus on your college applications, as well as pursue financial aid and scholarships. This vital research will help you develop a plan to pay for college. The high school years provide an abundance of opportunities to develop problem-solving skills and maturity needed for success in college.

Take challenging courses that allow you to expand your academic focus and build on your future education goals. Get involved in extracurricular activities, discover your passions and pursue your dreams.

College readiness encompasses all aspects of your academic preparation, including the basic skills of note-taking, reading texts, studying for exams, and writing essays and research papers. It involves developing life skills, such as time management, goal setting, and managing money. In addition, college readiness requires a level of maturity that will allow you to successfully navigate the abundance of freedom, responsibilities, and opportunities that college life provides.

Part of that is knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses and taking the initiative to work on areas that you need to develop. This is an exciting time as you grow in understanding of your core values and main interests.

Your ability to build healthy relationships will allow you to grow, collaborate and communicate effectively with others. Make every effort to meet with and learn from your guidance counselors, mentors and other role models in your life.

Allow these trusted and influential role models help you develop your strengths and find creative ways to work on your weaknesses. Stay organized and take notes as you research colleges and apply for admissions. Once you get to college, you will continue to grow, learn and advance in all of your academic goals. The time you put into college preparation and work you put in now will lay the foundation for academic success and a lifetime of learning. Start Planning for College Now!

If you plan to apply to very competitive colleges, you should focus on developing a spike , which is essentially finding your niche or what makes you stand out. You can do this by engaging in activities, events, competitions, etc. Some teenagers know right away what kind of career they want to have, while others likely most! You can get started by thinking about your biggest passions in life and what you generally enjoy doing, both in and outside of school.

In this case, a music major at a more artistically inclined school could be an amazing fit for you. It might also help to look at our comprehensive list of college majors , just to give you some ideas as to what majors are out there.

You can use college search websites and reputable ranking lists to see what certain schools are famous for. So take this time to start familiarizing yourself with key financial terms and what paying for college actually entails in terms of tuition, housing, meal plans, etc.

We recommend checking out our helpful guides on the different types of financial aid and how to save money for college. If your parents are worried about upcoming college expenses, read these articles with them and explain to them how you plan to apply for college scholarships and do well in school to increase your chances of securing a merit scholarship. Here are the differences between these three tests:. You are not required to take any of these tests in 10th grade —they're simply available to you should you want more practice for the SAT or ACT.

You could also work a part-time job to begin saving money for college. Your junior year of high school is where college preparation really starts to get serious. Continue to work on developing and adding to your spike i. This is the time to start really getting to know your high school teachers better, especially those who teach core classes you consistently do well in , since they'll likely be the ones you want to get letters of recommendation from for your college applications.

Develop a strong rapport with your teachers so they respect you and know you well, beyond just the grades you get on homework assignments and tests. In addition, take care to openly communicate with your parents or whoever is helping you pay for college at this time. Also, remember to look for safety schools. At this point, you should have a pretty basic understanding of how financial aid for college works.

As you begin making a tentative college list, look up tuition costs and financial aid info for each school. The US Department of Education offers a scholarship search tool you can use for free to get started on looking up potential scholarships.

We also maintain a comprehensive list of scholarships you can apply for as a junior. Some of these might require more documents and effort from you than others, such as transcripts and letters, so give yourself plenty of time to research and apply for them. The PSAT is typically administered in October , so plan to prep for it only if you're hoping to nab a super-high score in the few months before. Taking the test more than once can significantly raise your chances of getting a higher score.

Now, you can crack down and start putting together your finalized list of schools. Highly selective colleges want to see that you have engaged in a rigorous curriculum while you are in high school. You should also make certain to sign up for extracurricular activities that fit your areas of interest.

You do not need to spread yourself too thin, however. If you love math and science, sign up for math club, technology club or science club. Being involved in what you are passionate about will serve you well later. You will want to determine how much you need to study each day and each week and set the time aside.

Following a regular study schedule may help you to achieve the best grades that you can, and tutoring can help you to get great grades in subjects that you need more help with. When you reach your sophomore year, it is time for you to again take as many rigorous courses that you can. During this year, you might also begin thinking about the different careers and majors that you might be interested in.

It is not too early to start visiting different college campuses. This may help you to understand which universities might be a better fit for you. Continue actively participating in your extracurricular and volunteer activities, and try to run for leadership positions in the clubs that you are in. You will need to continue studying and working hard to get good grades. This will give you an idea of the testing formats and content while also providing you with an idea of the areas in which you might need more help.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no secret. Good behaviors, habits, hard work, and passion is what will lead your student to a dream school. After being a College Consultant for more than seven years, I have seen a pattern emerge in the students who are successful in getting into the college of their dreams.

An early introduction to books can have a great impact. Read to them, and when they are old enough, have them read to you.

This may sound simple, but establishing a love for learning will help them enjoy school through college. Tell them how much you enjoyed college. This sets the tone for future conversation and questions about college. Let your student see what college life is like and why it is important for them to attend college. College is not for everyone, but at the early stages of childhood, sharing knowledge is the key to having options.

When it comes to a personal enjoyment of education: this will happen at different times for each student. If you have a student who enjoys learning, then I suggest you put them into a college prep school or the GATE program at a public school.