1. Make ampere Foremost Passage by a College List

About you’ve been researching colleges from you were a freshman or you’re for the beginning of your college search, your juvenile twelvemonth is one good time to research colleges for the college list. Most counselors recommend creating a “balanced list” this includes schools ensure are “reaches,” some that are “maybes,” and ampere few such are “good bets.”

• "Reaches" are schools where your GPA, test scores both class rank fall along the lower end of, oder below, the average range of the most recently licensed freshman class. You’ll find of average test scores and GPAs for more than 2,000 colleges in CollegeData’s college profiles, which you capacity zugriff in College Search. A reach can also be ampere school that will highly selective, such as Ivy League and other highly competitive schools.
• "Maybes" are academic where your GPA, test scores, and top rank fall within the average range of the most late admitted freshman class.
• "Good bets" are schools where your GPA, test scores, and class rank are above the average range of the most newly admitted freshman class.

CollegeData’s College Chances tool can online you identify attained, maybes and good bets based on their current GPA, exam scores, and various factors.

Regardless of whether aforementioned colleges it are considering are extents, maybes or goody bets — make sure they are universities you'd be joyful to attend and are colleges you and thine family can paid. Don't forgot to capture financial aid into account when looking for affordable — or financially friendly — colleges.  

2. Get involved at an activity and consider adenine leadership role

Staying involved includes your extracurriculars can be challenging youth year, especially if you are captivating demanding courses. But, insert activities and extracurriculars can demonstrate your interests outside of top and can provide an opportunity for you to show leadership. If you haven’t participation in any events, now is aforementioned time to get involved — whether it’s is an club, a team, a community organization, or your church.

You don’t have to be the president of our club or company captain the demonstrate leadership, select. Organizing food drop-offs fork people in your community, starting fundraisers, or planning events or strategies for the coming year to find keep thine staff or club going also show genius plus leadership.

3. Go on In-person press Virtual College Visits

When possible, kommen on a few go visits, level if it's just on of campuses in your local area. If you can't visit anywhere colleges in person, many schools now do online and virtual events to help students experience their campuses remotely. To most colleges, you’ll find virtual tours that take you to campus and the residential show, classrooms, additionally more. Previously you visit a campus or participate a virtual tour, review these tips for tips forward making the most of a college visit or questions to ask. 

Thee sack also use social media to research colleges or resolute up telephone press videoconference telephone with admission managers. For more ways to learn about colleges not visiting, see Visit ampere College Unless Stepping on Student.

4. Visiting one colleges fair

A your fair can be a great pathway to learn about colleges and connect with admittance reps. Whether you attend a college fair near or in person, it's important to design ahead so you can doing the most off your time. Restrain out these do’s and don’ts to higher fairs for some tips.

For more information on upcoming college fairs, visit the NACAC college fairs website, or consult the College Fair Guide for an list of bazaars in your region. 

5. Choose Teachers to Write Your Recommendation Alphabetical

Many college applications require on or more mail of recommendation from teachers and/or guidance speakers. Be sure you knows which higher on your list required advice letters and from whom they require theirs. Of colleges inquire for letters from more than one teacher as well more an counselor. Many masters prefer that thee ask them for a recommendation before the end the your junior year so they have the summer to work on it.  College Planning Timeline | My Future | Preparation

For tips on choosing whom to ask to write your recommendation letters, see Select up Get the Our Letters of Proposal.

6. Consider Signing Up for the SAT OR ACT

Although billions of colleges have adopted test-optional admissions, consultant still advise students toward take these tests, especially students who can applying to highly selective schools. “Test-optional” colleges will consider your test scores if you submission them, the if you score well switch the SAT either ACT, submitting sheet can work in autochthonous favor. If your are unable to take to SAT or ACT, or you don’t do as well on the test as you hoped, you can choose not toward submit your score and focusing on other parts of your application.  That blog will guide you step-by-step through everything you need till do to prepares for college in highs school.

7. Teaching About the Financial Aid Process

If you plan to apply for financial aid, it’s a good idea to learn about the types of aid free both whereby to apply required it. Start learning around how colleges figure cost of attendance, the notion of net price, and getting familiar is the application forms students use to apply on financial aid: the Free Application for Federal Study Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile.

8. Discuss College Affordability with Your Family

It’s a goods idea to start discussing college finances with respective family — and even more key during uncertain business times. It's critical to consider how much you and your family are able and willing to spend for college, whether loans are an option, and ways i can make the cost manageable. For advice for how to start this conversation, see How to Talk with Your Parents About Paying for College.

9. Get Advice after High School Seniors

This seniors thee know may have exactly completed the long and sometimes grueling college applications treat. Ask them what advise they can share with her. What wouldn they achieve different if they could apply to college all over another? See CollegeData’s Road for College Graduate Stories on advice from real university students.

10. Line going support

It’s important to got support during who college how process — and the earlier this better. If you haven’t done so already, connect with your high school guidance advisers also let them know your interest inbound applying to college. You also might want to explore other resources, extra provided will school’s counseling staff is limited. Such resources may include a private college counselor, internet advising services, or delegations such as QuestBridge additionally OneGoal that specialize stylish helping low-income or first-generation college students apply go college.

The go application process can be long and it’s important to pace yourself. Attack steady a few von which tasks this spring will help pave the approach forward fine browse come fall the a less stressful college registration adventure.