Preparing for College

Preparing for College

Why Go?

More education can make a huge difference in your life -- and your family's.  It can open doors of opportunity, financially and personally.  Here are some reasons why you should attend college.

• Boost your earnings:
• Studies prove it: continue your education after high school and you're likely to make more money than people who stop at high school.  As an example, a college graduate can afford to buy a large, flat-screen TV in 1-2 months while a non-college graduate might have to work 3-4 months to buy the same TV.  Today, more jobs than ever before require specialized training or a two- or four-year degree.  More education means more choices, and that means more opportunities for your.  Of the 20 fastest-growing occupations, more than half require an associate's degree or higher.  Your high school diploma is useful, but a college degree increases your chance of employment by nearly 50%.  A two-year degree or even some college can have a positive impact on your ability to find and keep a job, too.  The higher your education level, the higher your chances of finding and keeping a job.  There's more to a job than a paycheck.  Jobs for college graduates typically offer more and better benefits than jobs requiring just a high school diploma.  These can include health insurance and retirement packages you may not get at lower-skill jobs.
• Find your passion:
• Some people simply have "jobs," while others have "careers."  What's the difference?  With a career, the kind of work you do is based on your interests.  Its a path you've chosen.  College can help you turn your passions and interests into a career you love.  Choosing a college major does not limit you to one type of career.  What do you like to do?  Its a tough question to answer, but spend some time considering it.  Day to day, notice the things you do that interest you the most.  During quiet times, where does your imagination lead you?  Make note of these things as they come to you.  Try these websites to match your interests to career possibilities:  CareerOneStop and What Do You Like?
• Prove your potential:
• At some time or another, many students have doubts that they are college material.  But once you started putting the effort to go to college, they realized that they could do it.  Believing in your self is the most important step to success.  Millions just like you were able to say "I am going." You can, too.  A common myth is that only people with excellent high school grades and standardized test scores can go to college.  Its just not true.  Different colleges have different admissions standards; if you don't get into one, keep looking.  You can take standardized tests over again to improve your scores.  Taking them over again can only work to your advantage because only the highest scores are reported to the colleges your are interested in.  The bottom line is good grades and good test scores can definitely help, but low grades and scores are not necessarily deal-breakers.

What to Do?

Preparing for college can seem complicated, but if you break it down, its easier to understand.  Here is a general guideline for you to take in order to plan and organize your path to college or other post-secondary education:

• Find schools:
• The school you choose needs to fit your interests, career goals, your financial situation, and other factors.  In general, higher education institutions fall into basic types such as public versus private, four-year universities and colleges, two-year community and junior colleges, and career, technical, vocational, or trade schools.  No matter what kind of school you choose, it is important to make sure the school is accredited.  Consider also factors such as cost, location, on-campus or off, size, majors and concentrations offered, flexibility, campus-life, religious affiliation, diversity, and career services.  Finally, talk to school representatives.  They can tell you about the institution with out you having to travel far from home.  They can answer your questions and even help point you in the direction you want to go.

• Take the tests:
• Secondary schools vary from one place to another, so that universities can not be confined to examining the marks obtained by the applicant for admission.  Standardized tests provide a uniform method that universities can use to assess students.  Almost all college admissions require that the applicant has submitted one of the most widely used tests:  SAT or ACT.
• Apply for admission:
• There is no magic answer to how many schools you should apply to, but one is not enough.  Simply because that school might not admit you.  More than ten may be too many, because application take a lot of time and work, and you need to do a great job on every one.  Also, most schools require application fees, so costs can add up quickly.  (Note:  many schools waive fees for low-income students.)  Applying to a few schools that really interest you is better than applying to as many as you can.  Research every college carefully.  Each college has different application requirements.  Different programs within the same school may even request different items.  Learn exactly what your school needs by checking with their admissions office or going to their website.  Start preparing well before the application deadline.  Most importantly, check and double-check everything before you submit.