Applying to college doesn't have to be stressful. Stay on track as you approach graduation by following these steps:
1. Take required high school courses Make sure you are all set with your high school courses. Be sure that you've met all requirements and passed the courses. Don't wait until the last minute and realize that you are missing a requirement. Keep track of your classes throughout your high school career.
**If you're taking AP classes or dual-enrollment college courses, be sure you're keeping a record of those classes as well.
2. Research colleges and universities Before you can apply to college, you'll need to research schools where you hope to begin your college journey. Your research may include which majors are offered, which extra curricular activities and clubs the school supports, and financial aid opportunities, among other things.
CFNC and CollegeBoard are excellent resources for researching colleges!
**It is wise to tour the colleges and universities that you'll be applying to, as touring allows you to walk the campus and see for yourself if you feel comfortable there and if the school is a good fit for you.
3. Take college entrance exams Before applying to college, you'll need to study and take at least one college entrance exam. These exams allow the schools you'll be applying to to assess and examine whether or not you're right for their school. Typically, college entrance exams offered to high school students include:
ACT
PSAT
SAT
SAT Subject Tests
TOEFL
**Your scores on these exams will be available to the schools you're applying to once you've selected your schools after the exam. 4. Apply to colleges and universities After you've taken your college entrance exams and have your list of potential colleges and universities narrowed down, you're ready to apply. Usually, the quickest way to apply to colleges is online, but paper applications are available as well. You'll need to fill out the application honestly and completely in order for the school to get an accurate estimation of you as a prospective student.
**There are generally application fees associated with applying to college. These fees differ by school, and some may be more expensive than others. Therefore, it is best to apply to a handful of schools at one time, instead of applying to 100 schools at once!
5. Apply for financial aid Another application you'll need to fill out before starting college is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a financial aid form for college students. This one-time form is what colleges use to assess your need for financial aid in the form of scholarships, loans, grants, etc. You can have a parent or guardian help you with the application if you'd like.
College Entrance Exams
The following college entrance exams are offered to high school students:
Be sure to prepare adequately in order to get the best score possible, which will help you when applying to your favorite schools.
Financial Aid Info.
You'll definitely need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) once you have a list of colleges narrowed down. To access the FAFSA form, click here.
Additionally, check out the Federal Student Aid website for all things financial aid. This website has some neat tools for both students and parents.
Financial Aid comes in many forms such as:
Scholarships (college money given to student that does not need to be repaid)
Grants (federal money given to student that does not need to be repaid)
Federal Loans (loans given to student from government; must be repaid after college graduation)
Private Loans (loans given to student from private entity; must be repaid after college graduation)
Work-Study Programs (students work a job on campus to pay for college expenses)
A few important notes:
Students must apply for scholarships, and there is no guarantee that you'll receive one. There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships available to students, but some have certain criteria and/or requirements.
Check out the following pages for scholarship information including a list of scholarship opportunities and how to apply for scholarships. 1. Fastweb 2. Scholarships.com
All student loans come with interest rates and terms of repayment, so do your research beforehand, as you will be responsible for paying the loan back after college graduation.
Writing a Resume
It may be necessary to submit a resume with your college applications.
Here are some tips for writing a resume:
Simple
Keep it short and simple, ideally to just one page. List name and contact information at the top, followed by your previous experience and achievements.
Scannable
Make your resume scannable, as people should be able to skim over it and get a good feel for your academic and professional experience. Use short sentences or phrases, bullet points, and numbered lists, if applicable.
Relevant
Only list your relevant experience. No need to list things you accomplished in middle school. Keep your resume up-to-date and tailored for high school and college. You will be able to add to it later once you have more experience throughout college and beyond.
Active
Use active language-- words like accomplished, achieved, completed, etc. The object is to illustrate your experience and skills by using descriptive words and language that proves that you can get the job done.
Proofread
ALWAYS proofread your resume before sending it out. Triple check for grammatical and spelling errors, and have a friend or family member check it as well.
**Microsoft Word has several resume templates that can help you with the layout and flow of your resume.