When choosing a major you need to not only choose something you enjoy, but something you will do well in! I see many engineers come through with 2.2 GPA’s and they are practically unemployable. Not everyone can be an engineer or a nurse or an accountant. Competition for jobs is fierce and most of the employers I deal with in my job don’t want to talk to students unless they have a 3.2 GPA or higher. Back when I started my job in 2000 the cut off was 3.0.
I have seen the same thing. Employers are often more interested in an overall record of accomplishment than what major you had, unless of course the job does require a specialized degree. When I see that someone has a high GPA and has accomplished some things outside of the classroom, I feel that person is more likely to have a work ethic and intelligence that will make them a good hire rather than whether they majored in something specific. Again, that is not true for an accounting job, they have to have the right degree for that. But even then, given the competition they are still going to have to have a good record. And a person is much more likely to have done well in a major they enjoy.
“You missed the big one: talk to your parents about cost constraints before you make your application list.”
Depending on whether your parents are wealthy enough to make a contribution at all to your college education.
“2. Craft your college application list as if the reach schools did not exist”
This piece of advice was particularly helpful. Thanks 
This is a great post and so are all of the comments! Thanks everyone!
Just read through this post and a lot of talk about demonstrating interest… So should I just e-mail the admissions staff for my area (like the regional ones) and ask questions? Or are there college fairs where I could meet them?
@batman4321 both!!
Great advice
Can anyone shed some light on the recruiting process of colleges? Most tour guides asked us if we played sports, and then asked us to contact the coaches. What’s the point of that? What happens if you are decent at the sport, not great but not bad? Is there any advantage to contacting colleges?
Thanks in advance. 
Anybody? It would be greatly appreciated.
If you plan to/want to play in college, contact the coach. Sometimes it can be an admissions bump even if you aren’t awesome. A college may have started a new team recently, for instance, and be looking for even average players.
@OHMomof2 does that advice go for students who want to play at the club level? (aka not the official team, the step below that)
I imagine varsity coaches don’t care much about the club level but in a large school maybe. At that point, just being an athlete is a good EC to have, without coach involvement.
This is all great advice, thanks! Never too early to start.
One great piece of advice I would give is not let the “good” or “bad” experiences of one person steer you toward or away from a school. I am surprised that no one called cheese4us on the bashing of New Haven. I went to Yale in the 70-80’s when it was at its worse and my D goes there now as a freshman. I have never had thugs pound my car or ever felt unsafe there. I do not feel my D is unsafe there but I do counsel her against walking around outside of campus alone at night. I wouldn’t advise her to walk anywhere alone at night. I live in Washington DC, I’m not walking around here alone either at night.
Every school is different. When we did the college tours my D’s junior year, some schools she loved and others not so much. I am a firm believer that you should go to visit the school, during school time, and hang with students without your parents, if possible. Go to class, sit at the coffee shop, go to a party - get a real feel for the place. Leave your parents in the hotel.
The Ivies are their own world and I know many kids that are extremely happy at other schools. Some of my D’s friends wanted big schools with D1 sports. They had visions of college football games at packed stadiums. I see them on Facebook on the weekends with paws and other mascots painted on their faces. They seem to be having the time of their lives. Definitely not the Ivy vibe. College should be the best time of your life, along with your time to get a degree.
So my biggest advice is to “do you”. I have said this many times on CC.
It may be too late for this piece of advice, but whatever you do make sure your list includes 1 or preferably 2 academic and financial safeties and that you LOVE them. Picking great safeties is very hard for high performing students with their eye on elite schools but it may be the most important choice you make. Every single year kids with seemingly “perfect” statistics get skunked…rejected from each and every elite school they applied to. Without a great safety those kids are going to have a year off or an encounter with a Community College.
Dear dragonflymusic, can you tell us how your first year as a Stamps Scholar at USC has been? Any thoughts or advice?
is it true that if you get your letter in the mail that means you got rejected and if you got it by fed ex that means you got in to the college?
No. Acceptance letters for my son came in regular mail as well as signing into an online portal or email to sign in somewhere. He only got two rejections and they came via email.
WOULD HAVE BEEN REAL NICE TO HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE I MADE ALL OF THESE MISTAKES. Anyways this should be more prominently placed!