What do you really need to prepare for college?

[Smilephantomhive]

I don't really know much about college, and don't know where to start. I just want to know some things that are essential for me to do/learn before I go to college.

I'm a junior and high school with no job, and I feel like I should know more about college. My parents are out of touch with the current college process, and I have no older siblings. I really don't know anything.

 

[magpie]

A resume and something interesting to put on it. It doesn't have to be a job.

 

[Smilephantomhive]

That's nice to to hear. What is an example of something interesting. Would being secretary of a club be interesting?

 

[magpie]

That's nice to to hear. What is an example of something interesting. Would being secretary of a club be interesting?

Yes, it would. When I was applying for college out of high school I listed on my resume my job experience, volunteer work, that I was a red belt in martial arts, that I sang in my church choir, the community theatre I'd been involved with, etc. Just little things like that, which make you look active and involved. When you tour colleges you can ask your tour guide more about the application process if you're unsure what you're supposed to write.

 

[Hawthorne]

Assuming you're asking about the admissions process. If not, skip this post.

Check with a guidance counselor at your school. Advising students through college applications is part of their job description. If you currently don't have any colleges of interest, they should be able to guide you there as well.

Many colleges use the Common Application. You fill it out once, select which ones you want to send it to, complete any necessary supplements, and sit on your hands until they contact you.

It's also probably a good idea to start studying for and taking either the ACT or SAT (depending on which one is most relevant to you. Or both). Pretty much all four-year institutions will require at least one and some two-years do as well.

Speaking of which, this is the part where I push my personal opinion on you. Feel free to ignore it:

Unless you are planning to walk into a four-year with a super nice scholarship or otherwise loaded, I strongly recommend looking into starting at a two-year institution and transferring in to a four. Unless you've got a lot of advanced placement credits, you're only going to spend your first two years doing intro-levels and gen-ed requirements anyway. You can do the same exact thing for significantly cheaper and with better class ratios at the two.

Is this the sort of advice you're looking for or something more specific?

 

[Smilephantomhive]

To anyone applying to college but doesn't know where to start: Just pick a college doesn't matter if you want to go to it or not, and start filling it out. If you have any questions then ask your colleges counselor if you have one (or ask google, or collegeconfidential forums). But yeah I had no clue what I needed to do until after I began applying.