7 Questions To Begin Your College Search
I intended for this month’s post to be about New Year’s Resolutions for Juniors. What are the things they need to be doing as the college process really heats up?
Here is that list:
Keep working hard in the classroom. Spring semester grades from junior year may be the last grades some colleges see before making their admissions decisions.
Register for the SAT or ACT. Test sites can fill up early, so make sure to plan ahead. Start or keep up with test preparation.
Be intentional about getting to know your teachers and letting them get to know you. Typically students will ask two junior-year teachers for a recommendation before the school year ends.
Engage with your school’s college counseling program. This is often the semester they will offer college counseling programs or individual meetings with counselors.
Research colleges. Take official tours of some, if possible. Colleges offer a lot of virtual tours and info sessions too.
But no one likes to have their New Year’s Resolutions dictated to them, and we all know that most resolutions fade out by February anyway. Instead, I recommend juniors begin this year with some self-reflection.
So much of the conversation around the college process focuses on externals and on what other people think or do. Common questions students ask in this spirit are:
What’s the “best” college I can get into?
Would colleges rather see a B in an AP course or an A in a regular course?
Will this college accept me?
While these questions may be valid, they are not the best place to start. Before looking outward, I want students to look inward. Spending some time in reflection is such a powerful way to start this process for so many reasons.
It centers the student. They will be the one heading off to college, and their goals, priorities and concerns should be centered.
It helps students practice the kind of self-awareness and expression necessary for college applications.
It gives me ideas about how to build a college list.
It lets me know how best to support students.
So, I’d like to share seven prompts that help students start their college search. Students may want to write their responses or discuss them with a parent or counselor. How they reflect doesn’t matter, just that they take stock before and during the search process.