College Prep

While you won’t be applying to colleges for a while, you can still get a leg up on
the competition by taking virtual campus tours for colleges of interest. Knowing
what campuses look like, what their buildings look like and where things are
located can put your mind at ease. Plus, it shows you how beautiful some
colleges really are.

The best part about it is you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home. Just
visit the websites of colleges you’re interested in and click on the virtual tour link
(or something similar). You’ll learn a lot and won’t have to spend a dime. Plus, it
can be kind of fun to browse around these different campuses.

Above all else, you’ll be further preparing yourself for the college experience.
Just the act of searching through college websites and locating the virtual tour
section is a good exercise. You’ll need to become increasingly efficient when
using college websites, or any website for that matter, as your high school career
moves forward.

Now is the right time to begin the discussion about funding for college with your
parents. While you can’t do much about securing financial aid during your
freshman year, you can come up with a plan for how your family will go about
paying for college.


Your parents may have been saving for your college education since you were
little. Or, they may not have been so fortunate. Either way, you’ll need to sit down
as a family and discuss the reality of the situation. How much are your parents
willing to spend on your college education? How much do they expect you to
contribute? About how much do you expect to get in financial aid?

Answering these questions early on save a lot of grief during your senior year.
You don’t want to fill out the FAFSA and realize in the April before you start

college that you cannot afford to go due to lack of funding. There is always a way
to get through school. You just need to start planning early to account for any
difficulties along the way and to make sure both you and parents are on the
same financial page.

Completing your high school education with a 4.0 GPA is impressive, but not as
impressive as doing so while in a club or as a member of a sports team. Colleges
look at what you do with your time outside of the classroom as well. Being a
diligent student is one thing, but do you manage your time well?


To put yourself above other college applicants, you can join a club during your
freshman year. Many high schools offer a wide range of activities and clubs to
join, everything from foreign language club to golf.

It may be difficult to balance your new high school curriculum and activities, but it
can be done. It just takes a bit of discipline.

To stay on track try making a to-do list for everyday or buy a planner. Write down
all of the things you absolutely must get done for each day in priority order. Many
people also find it beneficial to keep track of the amount of time it will take to
complete each item on the list. You can stay ahead in school and be involved on
campus. It will just take some adjusting at first.

Why do colleges like to admit students that are active on campus? Because
colleges want to have a well rounded student body that is active and involved.
Also, showing such dedication and discipline while in high school makes it likely
that you will be able to handle the rigorous demands of college courses
alongside a job, activities and adult responsibilities.

Don’t let your freshman year pass by without seeing a counselor. It may be a
dreaded activity to you to schedule an appointment and sit down to discuss your
future, but you’ll be glad you did.


Nothing impresses a guidance counselor more than a student that is prepared.
By visiting them during your freshman year, you show initiative and a real drive to
obtain a quality education.

If you have questions, be sure to write them down before you go into see the
counselor. This also shows that you are thinking about your future and not just
when you are asked about it. This sort of drive shows counselors that you care
and will really pay off come time you need a recommendation letter.

Also, make an effort to let your counselor know who you are. While they attempt
to get to know all of their students, counselors see many students each day and
it can be hard to keep track of them all. Make yourself stand out by sharing your
interests, your summer plans and goals. When it comes time to ask for a
recommendation letter, your counselor will have a wealth of information to work
from. A generic letter is far less impressive than one with personal touches.

It is also a good idea to bring along a notepad to your appointment. You’ll
probably want to take a lot of notes. Keeping track of what your counselor says
allows you to make better use of the time you spend together. You can better

prepare yourself and come up with more detailed questions if you keep a record
of the information you’ve already obtained.

You can expect to have to take courses like the following:


English: Consists of courses like Composition, Creative Writing, American
Literature and English Literature. You will need four years of English courses.

History: Consists of courses like U.S. History, World History, and Geography.
You will need two years of History courses*.

Government and Economics: Consists of courses like U.S. Government, Civics
and Economics. You will need one to two years of Government courses.

Math: Consists of courses like Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and Calculus. You
will need three to four years of Math courses.

Science: Consists of courses like Biology, Chemistry and Physics. You will need
two to three years of Science courses.

Foreign Language: Consists of courses like Spanish, French and German. You
will need two to three years of Language courses.

Electives: Consists of courses such as Art, Psychology and Music. You will need
one to three years of Electives courses.

*Note: Each college has its own admissions requirements. Be sure to talk to a
counselor about individual college requirements to ensure you take the proper
courses throughout your high school education.

You can’t wait to decide the classes you’ll take your senior year until your senior
year. Since many colleges have stringent curriculum requirements for high
school students, you need to plan ahead in order to stay in the game.


For instance, many colleges require three years of a foreign language. If you do
not begin this track in either your freshman or sophomore year, you’ll be unable
to attend that college!

It’s imperative that you find out the courses available to you and pick those you
need as well as those that interest you. College administrators like to see a
diverse, well-rounded student with many interests and your class schedule
should reflect this.

It is also advisable to take the hardest course load you can handle. College
administrators also like to see that you are up for the challenging course load you
will be expected to complete during college. Taking honors classes shows that
you are, indeed, up for this challenge. Plus, you have the advantage of being
thoroughly prepared for college level courses after taking a rigorous high school
curriculum.

As a freshman in high school, you may just be getting used to the idea of being in
high school, but you should also start thinking about your college career.


It may
seem like a lot of pressure, but today’s academic environment is very
competitive, so it’s a good idea to get ahead start.

The focus of your freshman year should be on laying the groundwork for what is
to come. You will need to plan out your curriculum so it meets the standards of
most colleges, stay in touch with your teachers, counselors and parents and try
to become an involved student.

Now, without further adieu, let us begin the ways you can prepare for college
during your freshman year.

College prep is very exciting but confusing at the same time. That is why we developed this website to cater for all your needs of college prep and other important questions you might be looking to be answered for you.

Everything you need to know to prepare you for college is answered here on our website and the best part of it is you do not have to pay for any of this information being provided to you for your college preparations.

Going to college is possibly the most important decision you’ve taken and it is going to help you make all your dreams come true and most importantly, make you financially secured.

We will guide you will all college prep questions and informations on this website and you can start by browsing on the menu on the right hand side. Also included in this website is links to other important websites and informations that will actually be helpful and in some instances this websites can provide you with even more help than we can.

So don’t waste time and go ahead and start reading our guidelines to prepare you for college the best way we can as possible.