I am currently looking at colleges to apply to and I have no idea where to begin. Does anyone have any tips from their journeys looking back at the admissions process? From college essays, to studying for the standardized tests, or finding the best fit, where do I start this next stage of my life?
What’s your GPA? What’s your class rigor? Any standardized test scores? What’s your home state? How much can your parents afford?
Are you a senior? Or a junior?
First: budget! Have an honest sit-down with whoever is helping to pay the bill. As a student, you are limited in the amount of loans available to you ($5500-7500 per year, determined by the year you are attending). Figure out what you and your family can, and are willing to pay, and then run the net price calculator for each school you might be considering to see if it is affordable. If it isn’t, drop it and move on. Some families have college savings, some don’t; some can take parent loans, some can’t; some students have unlimited budgets, most do not; some students need to live at home and work while attending community college part time.
Second: what are you looking for? Big city, rural country, large school, big sports environment, distance from home? Potential academic interests?
Then you need to start looking at the stats. What are your grades, test scores, course rigor? How do those line up with schools you may be interested in?
Every time you consider a new school, run the net price calculator before you get too invested in the process. If you have specific schools and provide your stats and budget, folks here are happy to help.
First off, my parents are willing to pay for any college so I have few restrictions on that aspect. Second, I would like a medium-large school in a large or small city or suburb. I want to study the psychology of business. Like why people would want to buy this product and how the company can make their products more appealing.
I’m a sophomore in high school and my school barely offers any AP’s so here is as follows.
GPA: 4.57 weighted, 4.0 unweighted
Classes:
Catholic Faith 10 (required)
Spanish 3 Honors
English Honors
AP World
Chemistry
ASB
Algebra 2 Trigonometry H
I’m a sophomore so no test scores yet. Unless you would count PSATs.
My home state is California however I really like schools on the east coast.
My parents are willing to pay for any college
“My parents are willing to pay for any college”
Please, please, please, get a $ figure from them. Yes, some parents do have $400,000+ stashed away in college savings, and some have enough income to cover $90,000+ each year for four years (my guess of what some of the more expensive places will be charging when you get there), but most don’t. And even those who tell their kids that they are willing to pay for any college often haven’t looked at the current Cost of Attendance for the places on their kids’ lists.