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April 8, 2022 • Schneps Media
Junior year is a pivotal time
in the lives of high school
students. Junior year marks
a transition to upper classmen,
and students begin to ponder their
post-high school academic careers
around this time as well.
The college preparatory process
can seem daunting, particularly if
a student does not have a sibling
who recently went through the
steps and can offer advice. Wellmeaning
parents may want to
share their own experiences, but
much has changed since parents
were looking ahead to their own
college experiences. That doesn’t
mean parents can’t offer important
assistance, particularly when
they learn the ropes of today’s
college preparatory process.
Speak with a guidance
counselor to plan
courses
COLLEGE GUIDE
Parents and students can meet
collectively with a guidance
counselor to talk about goals and
coursework. Many high schools
offer Advanced Placement classes
or dual enrollment courses
that enable students to earn
college credit.
Discuss extracurricular
activities
Colleges and universities do
not just look at grade and test
scores; they consider the entire
applicant. Therefore, high schoolers
should dabble in various
clubs, organizations and sports
to make them more appealing to
admissions departments.
Enroll in a test
preparation course
Though a growing number of
American colleges and universities
have abandoned ACT and
SAT scores as part of their admissions
process, many schools still
require those scores. Students
can benefit from taking test prep
classes either in school or through
outside tutoring businesses.
Learning strategies for the tests
as well as seeing sample questions
can remove some of the anxiety
associated with the tests.
Visit schools and attend
college fairs
Parents and students should
make appointments to visit several
college campuses that offer
courses students are interested
in. Getting one’s name in admissions
departments’ databases
also opens up students to emails
about upcoming events and
application deadlines.
Learn about The
Common Application
The Princeton Review says
most schools will use The Common
Application as part of the
admissions process. This enables
students to enter all of their information
and apply to multiple
schools using the same account.
However, schools will typically
have different supplemental essay
topics or test score requirements.
Essays typically are required to be
around 650 words.
Get financial paperwork
in order
Applying to college and applying
for financial aid (which every
student should do regardless of income)
are two separate processes.
In the United States, students will
start with the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA
will help determine eligibility
for grants, scholarships, federal
work-study, and student loans.
The FAFSA requires information
taken from federal income tax
statements.
Courtesy BPT
PROVIDED
Parents can educate themselves on the process needed for students
to apply to college and guide their children accordingly.
Guide to preparing for
college admissions
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Pay less.
Earn more.
Start your
future now.
cuny.edu/twoyear
/twoyear
