<p>This is my Junior year in high school and I need to talk to experienced people. What should I be doing to ensure my way into college. I'm the first child so I can't mess up. My schedule is decent I have all honors classes except for Spanish and chemistry and I'm taking AP GOV POL Comparative. I think my GPA is average but average is not going to get me in. Can you please tell me what I should be doing?</p>
<p>Do the best you can in your courses.</p>
<p>Take the SAT and ACT (one each). If desired, retake the higher one in fall senior year after more test preparation.</p>
<p>If you will be applying to colleges needing SAT subject tests, take the ones corresponding to courses you are completing this year at the end of this year.</p>
<p>Talk to your parents about how much they are able and willing to contribute to your college costs, and to get some basic financial parameters to put in to net price calculators on college web sites, so that you can make an appropriate application list.</p>
<p>Any more suggestions?</p>
<p>Get your testing done junior year.</p>
<p>Testing. Finished. Junior. Year.</p>
<p>Next, create a list of colleges you are interested in from safeties to reaches and start to narrow down to under >10.</p>
<p>Keep your grades as high as possible and do well on your AP exams for potentially applicable credit for the corresponding courses at the school you end up matriculating to.</p>
<p>OMYGOD I can’t believe no one said this.
“Take the SAT” YEA that’s good advice.
How about “STUDY” for the SAT? That test can change your life so you better not SHOW up at the center and take it, take tons of practice exams, learn techniques to get better. Study every day. Same applies for the ACT.
And you don’t have to take both the SAT and the ACT. The ACT has science, so if you’re not into that then don’t waste the money. If you love science and are great at it, then only take the ACT.) If you’re somewhere in the middle I guess you might wanna take both.
Tke as many SAT II’s as you can but only if you are sure you will do well.
gl</p>
<p>Find volunteer work in a field of your interest.</p>
<p>Is that it? Anything else</p>
<p>START WORKING ON YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DEADLINE TO DO IT…big mistake and i can tell you that personally!</p>
<p>Yes, one more thing . . .</p>
<p>Find your way over to CC’s [Financial</a> Aid](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/]Financial”>Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums) forum and camp out there. I’m serious. Spend as much time as you can reading as many threads as you can . . . 'cause all those efforts to get into a great school don’t make a darned bit of difference unless you can afford that school!</p>
<p>You need to figure out your finances before you pick your schools. Talk to your parents, figure out what your family can afford, and identify the types of affordable schools you should be looking at. Schools that offer need-based aid? Schools that offer merit aid? Which are the right ones for your situation? Figure that out now . . . and you’ll be way ahead of the game next fall!</p>
<p>You said that your GPA is average and that average won’t get you in. I do not know what you mean by “average,” but kids with “average” GPA’s get into college all the time. You need to do well in school, study and take the SAT/ACT, do your essay, and keep up with your EC’s. You will need to figure out what you can pay. Then make a list of safety schools ( academic and financial), match schools, and reach schools. Remember that an academic reach school probably won’t give you merit aid. If you can visit these schools, great. Once again- kids who are “average” get into college all the time.</p>
<p>If you can get a job, I would suggest getting one. Job experience is such a good thing, makes you much more appreciative of money. I got a job junior year and I joined 2 clubs and played a varsity sport. That just about filled up all my time, but I think junior year was very productive. Also, don’t feel like you MUST get ALL of your testing done junior year either. Personally I got my best SAT score at the start of my senior year out of my 3 attempts, and I know a lot of people who did that as well. Take the SAT/ACT 2 times junior year, and save one for the first date of senior year (unless of course you just blow it out of the water before then)</p>
<p>And yes, figure out your finances too. I’m going out of state only because I have a tuition grant paying most of my way, otherwise I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of it.</p>
<p>This is all good advice. You can also look at college web sites and check out the admission profiles to get an idea of what they look for.</p>