Starting Early is Key!

College-bound? Here's the scoop: start those apps ASAP! Research schools, follow their updates, ace standardized tests, and plan for scholarships. Don't forget to talk money with your parents!

You may be wondering why we encourage you to start the college application process ASAP when schools haven't even opened their applications yet. Maybe you're a first-year in high school, and college seems so far away, and you don't want to start stressing out yet. Here's the deal: the process is easier if you start earlier.

Research Schools

Don't limit yourself to schools nearby. While your home state may house some of the best schools in the country, depending on your program of studies, there may be better programs suited for you elsewhere!

Consider the location of a school, its size, the community, and the cost of living. All of these factors will impact your final decision, so it's good to know more now rather than later.

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Really think about the location. Your chosen school (for most) is a commitment to a location for the next 4 years. If you choose to go far from home, really consider the impact the climate, the culture, and local community may have on you.

Start Paying Attention

Colleges & Universities are constantly posting and sharing information about their programs, facilities, and student events. Pay attention since student testimonials and valuable programs are mentioned and highlighted in their social media.

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Read between the lines though! Schools have large marketing budgets to make their programs look interesting, keep an eye out!

Get your standardized tests out of the way

Study and take the exams at least twice before the start of your senior year. When your final year of High School comes around, there are much more important things like essay writing, graduation requirements, prom, and other senior year events that will stress you out. The SAT/ACT should not be one of them!

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Senior year is already super difficult, there is no need to add more to it!

Things to Consider:

The best advice I ever received when applying to college was: "Build a good college list, make sure every school is one you'd be happy to attend. If you like every school from your reaches to your safeties, then you won't be stressed when decisions time comes."
Writing is a process that becomes easier with practice, and harder to more you procrastinate
"Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window."
--William Faulkner
Keep a list of notes of things that inspire you, make you angry, make you laugh
Read read read read for the sake of making your writing better please READ
Study and take your standardized tests, get them out of the way so you can focus on other things
the more time you give your recommenders, the better the letters will be
scholarships have early deadlines, the earlier you start, the more things you can apply/qualify for
conversations with your parents regarding $ and ability to pay