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I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated I get when people tell me not to worry about college yet, or encourage me to just enjoy the time I have left in high school.
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I'm graduating next week and going off to college and I was definitely the type of student you are. Always thinking about the future. I was obsessed with the college process from the beginning of freshman year when my mom bought me "The Truth About Getting In" by Katherine Cohen (a great resource btw). However, my obsession with finding the right college for me didn't translate into me becoming the best applicant. I didn't get perfect grades. I didn't ace the SAT. However, in a sense this was good. </p>
<p>Now as a college-bound student, I look at the crazed kids on this board in pity. Obsessed with getting into an Ivy League school, these kids are missing out on life. While it's important to care about your future and get good grades and good test scores. It's also just as important to find yourself.</p>
<p>While I didn't have the opportunity to pursue all of my interests in high school, I did take the time to discover what they are and choose a college that will help me expand these interests and succeed at what I'm interested in.</p>
<p>My advice to you philosopher and everyone else here is to be human. Discover what you're interested in and then spend your free time exploring your interests and passions. It's better to have lived life and have interesting stories to tell in your essays than to have perfect grades and SAT scores.</p>
<p>don't worry about college until junior year. it's not worth the time and stress. Instead, go out and spend your time enhancing your resume with ECs etc.</p>
<p>bad1017 i love ur opinion...... i am almost a senior... this is summer... so i am going on this site, already w/ my mind made up of where i am applying. i will not let them convolute my thinking w/ ivy this ivy that.</p>
<p>I'm the same age as you, philosopher. My mom said that next summer we would probably go on some informal visits, maybe a few tours to some colleges. Personally, I think it's a little early, but I don't really have a choice; it's not my money. I haven't even got a real list together yet, but I'm not really complaining.</p>
<p>My daughter will be a Sr coming year. I agree to go at the end of your Jr year, but we didn't have time. We go this summer to a couple of total different colleges 'not to far away'. A 'big', public one, a down-town college and a small LAC college 'in the corn fields'. Coming from the burbs of Dallas, we wonder what TYPE of college gives a good 'vibe'. Then, when college starts, we will narrow our search to the type of school she feels most at home.</p>
<p>Well from someone who never really visited colleges I would definitely suggest at least the summer going into your summer year, though it wouldn't hurt to go the spring break of your junior year, though I did start browsing through prospective colleges around the beginning of my senior year though this didn't get serious until November, but I would expect that at least a few months of preparation would be best when searching for the best college.</p>
<p>I didn't start looking at colleges or even thinking about them until the start of my senior year and I really regret it. I felt really rushed to do everything and had to rush through my applications, etc. It didn't actually affect me because I got into my first choice but it was still pretty stressful. So DEFINITELY start before then.</p>
<p>"For ex. I heard Georgia Tech has really bad recruitment and lacks undergrad focus, despite it being a top school. Although I won't every school out there I am interested in seeking out schools that I can picture myself at. I agree with your concept of visiting schools after being accepted though (However I doubt I'll find time then)."</p>
<p>While I didn't get any junk mail from GT my campus visit and later overnight stay there is what made it my first choice. That was definitely a top-notch experience, much better than the campus visits I had at Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, etc.</p>
<p>mj93...ok i dont wanna use names but your my friend...umm. i went to wdc with you. i was in your room...remember...you can figure out who i am my my screen name. i just thought you should know i am now a member of college confidential now too =]]</p>
<p>I have a decent sized list of schools I'll apply to and I've only visited 2. To be perfectly honest, I don't plan on visiting the rest because I don't have time for that kind of stuff. That's where CC comes in; CC has several representatives from most schools on here and they can tell you what it's like. As for when to begin the college search, I began early this year. (I'm a junior)</p>
<p>I would begin seriously considering colleges some time in the middle of junior year. By the end of junior year you should have narrowed down your list and should visit your top choices. Starting the college search before the middle of junior year is pointless. When I think about the colleges I thought were my top choices back in sophomore year, none of them were schools I seriously considered. Be patient.</p>