![Harry’s Corner (ESM’s Director of College Counseling, Harry Kisker)
We get a lot of questions about how to get started on the college search and application process. The truth of the matter is, that searching for colleges that are the best fit for you, and actually applying are two very different parts of the process. Parents and students should resist the urge to start the application process too early: don’t start test-prepping in your freshman year!
Use your first year and a half of high school to ponder, dream, explore your options, and to build a strong academic basis of college-prep courses, making sure you achieve the best grades you can! Freshman grades matter! They form ¼ of your cumulative high school GPA, and slacking off in your first two years can leave you in a deep academic hole that is impossible to dig out of.
Start thinking about what kind of college experience you want….always allowing room to change your mind as you move through high school and get to know yourself better. Small liberal arts college or mega-university? Urban or rural, or in between? Co-ed or single sex? Near the snow? Near the beach? Politically active or just not interested? Ethnically diverse or monochromatic? Take stock of yourself and your expectations:
What kind of person do I want to become? How do I define success: making a whole pile of money, or changing the world? What courses do I like the most? What courses leave me cold? What do I like to read? Am I a tree-hugger or do I need big city lights?
There are a bunch of websites that allow you to find out about colleges that meet your special interests and needs. Freshman and sophomore year are a great time to explore what schools are out there….and there are plenty: over 2500 four-year schools alone. If your high school has the Naviance Succeed software, it incorporates a college-search engine that allows you to specify location, climate, size, majors, and even specific activities [like ultimate Frisbee] to get you started. The College Board website [the same folks that bring you the SAT] have another very good search engine.
Taking the time to get to know yourself and what you are looking for from your college experience will give you a head start on the actual college search and application process. And always remember that the #1 most important thing about getting into college are the courses you take and the grades you earn.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4rs8uQjI1qzcin1o1_250.jpg)
Harry’s Corner (ESM’s Director of College Counseling, Harry Kisker)
We get a lot of questions about how to get started on the college search and application process. The truth of the matter is, that searching for colleges that are the best fit for you, and actually applying are two very different parts of the process. Parents and students should resist the urge to start the application process too early: don’t start test-prepping in your freshman year!
Use your first year and a half of high school to ponder, dream, explore your options, and to build a strong academic basis of college-prep courses, making sure you achieve the best grades you can! Freshman grades matter! They form ¼ of your cumulative high school GPA, and slacking off in your first two years can leave you in a deep academic hole that is impossible to dig out of.
Start thinking about what kind of college experience you want….always allowing room to change your mind as you move through high school and get to know yourself better. Small liberal arts college or mega-university? Urban or rural, or in between? Co-ed or single sex? Near the snow? Near the beach? Politically active or just not interested? Ethnically diverse or monochromatic? Take stock of yourself and your expectations:
What kind of person do I want to become? How do I define success: making a whole pile of money, or changing the world? What courses do I like the most? What courses leave me cold? What do I like to read? Am I a tree-hugger or do I need big city lights?
There are a bunch of websites that allow you to find out about colleges that meet your special interests and needs. Freshman and sophomore year are a great time to explore what schools are out there….and there are plenty: over 2500 four-year schools alone. If your high school has the Naviance Succeed software, it incorporates a college-search engine that allows you to specify location, climate, size, majors, and even specific activities [like ultimate Frisbee] to get you started. The College Board website [the same folks that bring you the SAT] have another very good search engine.
Taking the time to get to know yourself and what you are looking for from your college experience will give you a head start on the actual college search and application process. And always remember that the #1 most important thing about getting into college are the courses you take and the grades you earn.
