#CollegeBound: Navigating College Admissions, Part I
If college is in your not-so-distant future and you're a little confused about where to start with the application process, fear not! We've got some tips to help you navigate college admissions.
Prepare for the application process today
Early fall is the best time to visit colleges. Students are in session and admission offices are giving informative sessions and tours of campuses. While you can easily visit colleges to your heart’s desire, getting admitted to the school of your choice is different story. Here is a guide to what high school students can do now to get into the college of their choice.
Take tougher high school courses
- Think of high school as a free practice round for college courses.
- If you take more rigorous courses in high school, you are more likely to get a higher college grade point average (GPA). After graduating college, your high school GPA is fairly irrelevant, since it’s your college GPA that really matters.
- Plus, you can earn college credits for taking high school dual credit and advanced placement courses. Heads up, though: dual credit courses may count toward your permanent college GPA.
Take part in extracurricular activities and leadership roles
Call it your “X” factor. Knowing your academic material is important, but having experiences that make you a well-rounded individual and leader are important, too. Make your admissions application stand out with leadership experience.
Visit colleges now
- Research colleges here and at each school’s website.
- Contact schools' admissions offices and see the campus and students in session first-hand.
- Talk to current students and request to sit in on a college course.
The SAT Exam
The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge.
- Practice for the SAT exam with the free SAT question of the day.
- Download the official SAT practice test.
- Explore the SAT test day simulator.
- Register for the SAT here.
The ACT Exam
Schools often accept both the ACT or SAT exam scores.
- Register for the ACT here.
Stay tuned for Part II: Coming next month!