15
COURIER LIFE, APRIL 8-14, 2022
Health
Preparing for college admissions
What high school juniors need to know heading into senior year
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. Well-meaning 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
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 benefi t from taking
test prep classes either in
school or through outside tutoring
businesses. Learning
strategies for the tests as well
Parents can offer important assistance, particularly when they learn the ropes of today’s college preparatory process Metro Creative Connection
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 fi nancial paperwork in
order
Applying to college and applying
for fi nancial 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.
Parents can help guide their
students further by following
up on school transcripts,
teacher recommendations and
providing application cost fees,
which vary from $50 to $100 per
school. The road to college may
seem confusing, but a few simple
strategies can make it easier
to navigate.
— Metro Creative Connection
College Guide
“The road to college
may seem confusing,
but a few simple
strategies can make it
easier to navigate.”