I am having trouble deciding what college is right for me. I am currently a freshmen in high school and I started looking early because I know how fast your school years go by. I have my heart set on this one college but I am not quite sure if it’s right for me. I want to go to that college so bad but I know I also need a plan b. I really need some advice. I knew to this site so I’m not sure if I am doing this right. If I am not I will find out sooner or later. Please help me.
Honestly, I’d say to just forget about it for now and enjoy high school. You’ll have plenty of time your Junior and Senior years to look. High School goes by fast, but not THAT fast. Just focus on doing well in school now so you have lots of options later on.
There is no way to help you now. You haven’t completed any HS courses yet. You won’t be taking a SAT or ACT for two years. Picking a college necessitates knowing your HS stats…and you don’t have those…yet.
So…concentrate on doing your very best.
If you want to, you can start looking at college websites online, but really…I would suggest waiting at least until the spring.
This year, do your best to get really good grades. If you are able to take honors classes in some subjects, and think you will be able to get a good grade, do that. Try some different extra curricular activities to see what you like. That is really all you should do this year.
Change your photo, especially since it seems like you are using your name in your user name. You are being WAY too transparent on a public forum.
As a freshman, you should just focus on getting the best grades you can and finding ways to become involved in your school and local community. My other advice is not to create a fixation on a “dream school”. There are tons of great schools out there that are bound to be a good fit for you but you can start worrying about that at the end of your sophomore year.
Shelby
You are in the exact place I was in when I was a freshman. I went to my career guidance counselor after my first semester, armed with a 3.75 GPA. I told her I was dead set on attending just one college, and I read everything I could get my hands on about that college, including the course guide and other materials I wrote to and asked the admissions office to mail me. The counselor was instrumental in explaining that I needed to be well rounded and not only do well academically, but to get involved in student government, sports, theatre, debate, the school newspaper, and any other club or hobby that interested me. I followed her advice. Three years later I got accepted to my dream school and my backup, which was perhaps the best university in America. I went to my dream school. I realize it’s hard to stay focused on one school and it cost me some friends and parties and other social events. But in the end it paid off. My advice: do everything possible to prepare yourself for that particular college and by the time you are a senior, you will know if that school is still your first choice and which other schools you should apply to as a backup.
Let’s just say you eventually get into your dream school:
- How much is the Cost of Attendance (COA) for that school?
- How much will your parents pay each year for 4 years for college?
- How much do your parents earn per year (approximately)?
At this stage you should be learning about the various colleges, not picking them yet.
In the alternative, my D2 got into a school she had been interested in since freshman year, but realized at accepted student visits that it wasn’t “all that” – and this is a top university. She ended up being very happy at another school. High school freshman have little ability to be sure what they will want 4 years later. Don’t fixate. Do what you can to keep a lot of options open.
As Madison85 points out above, you need to have a conversation with your parents about how they expect you to pay for your education. They may whine and fuss and say that it is too early, but keep working on them about this. Ask them to sit down and run the Net Price Calculator at the website of one of your own home-state public universities, your local community college, and two or three other places that they are familiar with (maybe their own alma maters). Provide them with boxes of tissues and adult beverages as needed during this process. Many parents find the numbers quite disturbing.
The sooner you (and your parents) can come to terms with the money issues, the better. You may find that those issues frame your entire college search process. For example, if the only way to make your dream college affordable is for you to win the one big merit scholarship offered there every year, then you will need to put a lot of energy into getting the grades and test scores that would make that scholarship a possibility.
Find out what interests you, if your school offers job shadow opportunities in your community sign up and explore careers.
Work hard in school, but also cultivate friendships and find some extracurricular activities you enjoy.
You are going to grow and change over your HS years. And you have no concrete indicators of what your HS GPA and standardized tests will come out. It is too early to target a college. Focus on enjoying HS – do well in classes, make friendships, get involved etc. The rest will come in time.
If you’re a freshman, your college choices are bound to change. When I was a freshman, I wanted to attend either UNC Chapel Hill, Elon University, or Spelman College. Now as a junior in HS, I have decided where I’m going to apply next year, but the schools are different. I choose not to tell what they are, but just enjoy HS and get involved! If you do something like band or sports keep doing them; colleges love to see commitment
That is great that you are thinking about which college you like! Good job thinking about your future. There are many wonderful colleges to choose from. Visit as many as you can starting now. Visit your dream school and others. Start requesting information from colleges online. They like to be liked. Get or read the Princeton Review Guide for ideas of other schools. Find out what kind of grades, test scores, and AP classes are needed to attend your dream school. It is good that you are looking now so you have time to prepare.
If your dream school is a top school, it is not guaranteed you will get in. A little luck is needed. So build a list of a range of schools, some hard to get into for you and some easy. Good luck. You are on the right track.