College Prep

Many high schools have college fairs, so you can also go to yours and check out
local college information. But, many other college fairs are held across the
country.

You can easily find a college fair near you by visiting the National Association for
College Admission Counseling website at:

http://www.nacacnet.org/MemberPortal/Events/CollegeFairs/.

These college fairs give you an excellent opportunity to learn about many
colleges all at once. It can be very expensive to visit all of the colleges on your
list, so going to a college fair saves you lots of money on travel expenses.

You can even pick up brochures, applications and financial aid information for
your prospective colleges. Be sure to have any questions you may have ready to
ask the college representatives. Also be sure to bring a pen and pad of paper to
take notes. You’ll be speaking to lots of people and you won’t be able to
remember everything!

While your primary focus should still be on your high school education, you can
start planning ahead now. Sign up for http://www.fastweb.com. You’ll have to
answer several questions about yourself, but once you do, you’ll receive
scholarship updates, job opportunities and even internship opportunities. You
can even opt to receive e-mail notification of these updates.

FastWeb is great because it allows students to get a heads up on scholarships
they are eligible for. That’s why you answer all of those questions at first. The
results you receive are completely customized to your background, ethnicity,
interests, extracurricular activities and GPA.

You can expect to frequent the site often. It also offers excellent financial aid
information and resources and articles to help you get abreast of what this whole
college thing is all about.

Why sign up during your sophomore year? This allows you plenty of time to
become familiar with FastWeb and all it offers. So, once it’s time for you to
actually apply to scholarships you’ll know the requirements like the back of your
hand.

Being prepared is the major theme here, in case you haven’t noticed. Make use
of FastWeb and all of its resources and you’ll definitely have a leg up on your
classmates.

Speaking of preparing yourself, signing up for a class that prepares you for these
college entrance exams is probably a good idea. The material on these tests
should be familiar to you, but their presentation and formatting may be entirely
new to you. Taking a class makes it so come test day, there are no surprises.

If you will be taking the SAT, you’ll need to also take the PSAT, which is just a
practice test to prepare you for the one that counts. You can also take PSAT
classes. Do what feels best for you but keep in mind that less work doesn’t mean
it’s the right path.

Do your best to prepare for the standardized tests you need to take now and
you’ll thank yourself later. Pay particular attention to your math class. Formulas
and equations you learn now will most likely appear on these tests.

Research the standardized tests required for college
admissions

College entrance exams can be a real pain. Let’s face it. They don’t exactly test
your intelligence or your breadth of knowledge from high school. Rather, you
need to study specifically for the test to ensure you know the kind of information
that’s on it.

It may seem pointless, but standardized tests are the, well, standard of most
colleges regarding entrance exams.

This year, you should research the specific requirements of each of the schools
on your list. The tests you will most often run across include:

- PSAT/NMSQT
- SAT Reasoning Test
- ACT
- SAT Subject Test

What do you each of these tests require? What sorts of questions will you be
asked? Do your research on the specifics of these tests and pick up a handbook
with a few sample questions inside.

Even though standardized tests only really matter in terms of applying to college,
they matter big time in this one area. Do your best to prepare early for the exams
by knowing which ones you’ll need to take and what subjects you’ll need a
refresher course on before test day.

Yes, this was included in your freshman year to-do list, but it is so very important,
I just had to include it again. Talk to your counselor regularly. In order for them to
help you make the best decisions regarding college, you have to make yourself
available to them.


Don’t be afraid to visit often. You won’t get on their nerves. Just come prepared
with any questions you may have and they’ll appreciate your organization.

You should also make it a point to speak with your teachers on a regular basis.
Your instructors see your mental prowess first hand. They are the best to
evaluate your academic performance and to write letters of recommendation for
you. Letting your instructor in on your goals allows them to better help you when
the time comes to make big college decisions.

After all, teachers are there not just to teach, but to help their students as well. If
you have any concerns regarding your classroom performance and how that will
affect your college admissions, try to set up a meeting time with one of your
teachers. More often than not, they are glad to help you make sense of the
college prep process.

You spent your freshman year joining clubs of interest and taking part in
extracurricular activities. During your sophomore year, make it your objective to
take on a position of leadership in one of the organizations you’re involved with.
Whether you’re a committee member or president, your efforts to lead your
classmates will be noticed on college applications.

College administrators like to see students that take initiative. If you were a
leader of a club during high school, it shows initiative on your part to take control
and be in charge. These skills come in handy during college when you’ll be
expected to make presentations or speeches. These leadership skills can be
even more beneficial once you join the workforce.

If you run for a leadership position and don’t make it right away, not to worry. You
can always document your attempts on your college application. Your valiant
efforts will not go unnoticed by the college recruiters.

And don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to leadership roles.
If you organize a beach clean up with your classmates or start a petition for a
noteworthy cause, don’t be afraid to include that on your application as well. Your
leadership skills can and should branch outside of the school campus.

After taking those virtual tours last year, you should probably already have a
good idea of the types of colleges you’d like to apply to. There are many factors
that go into deciding on a campus that is right for you. You can narrow your list
down by answering the following questions:

- Would to prefer to attend a small school or a large school?
- Do you want to live at home or live in the dorms?
- Do you want to go to a school that is close to home or far away?
- What major are you most interested in?
- How much can you spend on a college education?
- Do you prefer small, intimate classes or large lecture hall classes?
- How selective of a school would you like to go to?

After answering these questions, you should be able to narrow down your list
some. For instance, if you want to go to a small school and live at home,
campuses with extravagant dorm facilities and are massive in size will be off the
list. Likewise, if you think you may want to be an English major, yet a potential
school specializes in Mathematics, they may not be the right choice for you.

The point of this exercise is to get focused. It is best to have a good idea of the
type of college you want to go to at least early on, so you know the specific
classes you’ll need to take in high school and to what academic standard you
should be aiming.

Your first year of high school is behind you and now it’s time to hit the old books
once again. But as you further your studies, you can continue to keep up to date
with the college scene. In fact, unlike your freshman year, you can really dig in
your heels this year and start making some decisions in regards to your college
choice, standardized testing and financial aid. Just look at all of the things you
can do.

If you don’t already know how, get a handle on typing. Being able to type fast and
accurately helps to keep you up to speed with your classmates and better
prepares you for college.

You can take a typing class at your high school as an elective to really hone your
skills. The old “hunt and peck” method may have worked for your parents, but it
certainly won’t work for you. With term papers, essays and applications to fill out,
you’ll need to have a good typing speed to keep up with the workload.

Remember: practice makes perfect. Don’t worry if you’re not flying through page
after page right away. After a few months of diligent practicing you’ll be a pro,
and ready to tackle anything with a word processor.

Just lazing the day away during the summer might sound nice, you should
continue to work toward making your college application look appealing. You can
do this by volunteering for a community organization.

Many students’ excuses range from they can’t find volunteer opportunities to they
don’t know how to volunteer. Rest assured, the organizations you’ll be working
with will be glad to have your assistance. Many high schools even post volunteer
opportunities on campus. Check news bulletins and boards in the office for such
opportunities.

You can also find volunteer opportunities by visiting:

http://www.servenet.org

http://volunteermatch.org

These sites allow you to search for volunteer opportunities of interest to you

You’d be surprised. There are plenty of organizations and companies out there
that would absolutely love to have your help. All you need to do is ask. The
added bonus is that doing volunteer work on your own time shows dedication,
commitment and empathy for the cause of others. Plus, you’ll start up a good
networking base that could lead to potential employment later on.

College administrators love to admit students that care about their community,
can balance their schedules and work well with others. Add these excellent
qualities to your resume by putting in some time with a volunteer organization.