College Readiness 101: How to Prepare for College
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Introduction
You are headed toward a new adventure, and it's going to be a great experience. But first, you need to make sure you're ready! College readiness is so important, but it can be hard to get started with college prep. That’s why we’re going to break down how to prepare for college at every stage of your high school journey.
As a high school student, you may think that you should start preparing for college by taking the right classes and preparing for the ACT/SAT. However, there are other important aspects of college readiness that you can improve on at every grade level in high school.
Whether it's an essay for class or an internship you're looking for, check out our tips for high schoolers preparing for college! This guide will help make things a little easier, and we've included some crucial steps to make sure that you get the most out of your college prep!
Select your year to get started!
College Prep for High School Freshman and Sophomores
Academics
It may be hard to believe, but admissions counselors start reviewing students’ academic performances even in your freshman and sophomore years of high school. Forget the myth that they only care about your grades in 11th and 12th grade–grades matter all four years!
During this time, you should be challenging yourself academically. For example, you should look into taking Honors, AP, and IB classes if your school provides them. College admissions counselors often look to see if you challenged yourself by the classes you took when considering you for admissions. So, don’t be afraid to take risks!
Lastly, explore potential majors and careers through electives, magnet programs, other opportunities. Feel free to meet with your school counselor to discuss your aspirations and to outline your plan of action. This will be likely to change as you grow as a student, but it’ll still help guide you along the way!
Extracurriculars
Participating in activities outside of your schoolwork is important in not only having a fun high school experience, but will give you an early experience in volunteer work and more!
You should join 2-5 extra academic activities including any clubs–in and outside of your school–that might interest you. Also consider getting involved in your community through volunteer opportunities that pique your interest as well. Activities are FUN and should never be seen as tedious, so pick something that you are likely to stick with throughout high school.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do and you get into the swing of things, demonstrate leadership and excellence in those activities that are important to you. Demonstrate self-esteem and confidence in what you do. Show initiative in participating in new opportunities, especially ones challenging to you.
Always have a positive attitude and strong communication skills when working with others. Doing this will also help you expose yourself to career opportunities, and potentially help you figure out what you want to major in!
Summer Activities
Though we all know summer to be a time of rest and relaxation, it’s also an important time to take advantage of having time off to catch up on readings, and do those things that you didn’t have time to do during the school year.
Look into getting a part-time job or even volunteering at a local clinic, hospital, or other non-profits. Interning is also something that can be detrimental to having a summer that counts, so keep an eye out for those opportunities at some of the companies that may interest you!
With more free-time on your hands, try to attend a college’s summer program open to high school students! Along with taking college-level online (or in person) classes, attending college fairs will let you have a hands-on experience at what a college experience could look like for you.
Explore College Majors and Career Paths
During this time, you should be exploring career or major options through volunteer activities, extracurricular activities and elective courses. Use career inventory or major search engines to explore careers of interest. Here are some helpful resources to get you started:
College Prep for Juniors in High School
Staying in the race
You’re almost at the finish line!! Your junior year is the time to really narrow down your options and to solidify your plans. During this time, you should continue taking challenging courses and maintain good grades.
It’s also super important to stay and get involved inside and outside of school. Remember: taking leadership positions is important! Be proactive and stay in contact with your school counselor(s).
When the time comes, your school counselor will be the one to provide the student recommendations for many colleges. You can do it! You’re almost there.
Research College Options
Now is the time to be researching colleges through participating in their visits, attending college fairs, and more! Finding the right college option for you is not an easy process, so definitely reach out to your counselors and use all of your college prep resources to assist you in this process.
There could also be costs associated with these activities, so we do encourage you to use online resources like BigFuture to find the right activities for you, and to narrow down your college list.
TESTING
Testing is also a huge step to take during your junior year. We strongly encourage you to take the PSAT to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. Keep in mind that the PSAT only counts in 11th grade and is given in October.
The PSAT currently costs $17 per student, however, be sure some schools might cover the cost! Reach out to your school to ask about a fee waiver.
After getting your PSAT score, you should review your score reports to understand your strengths and weaknesses. It’s so important for you as a student to work on any weaknesses that you might find.
Here are some important things to note about testing in your junior year:
Both the SAT and the ACT are accepted by almost every college and university. There are hundreds of colleges who don't require the SAT or ACT anymore so do your research and make sure taking these exams is the right move for you.
Students should decide for themselves whether to take the SAT or ACT or both based on skills, knowledge, and college requirements.
Students should take the SAT/ACT toward the end of their junior year at the latest, so the student has enough time to study and take practice exams over the summer.
DID YOU KNOW? The College Board offers fee waivers for SAT/ACT for eligible students.
Need a little extra help studying for these big tests? There are a bunch of FREE resources available for you to take advantage of. UPchieve’s platform allows you to chat with a college prep counselor 24/7 about anything you have questions about!
There are also SAT and PSAT specific study sites for you to put to great use.
College Applications Prep (Before and During Summer)
We all have that one ~favorite~ teacher in high school, and now is the time for that teacher to prove that the favoritism is mutual! You should secure at least one 11th grade teacher to serve as “recommender” for your college application.
Here’s a hint: Colleges prefer that the teachers that write recommendation letters be from 10th or 11th grade and be from a core subject (Math, Science, English, History, and sometimes foreign language will count).
This is also a great time to identify any “fly in'' programs that you would like to apply to and ask for recommendations in advance. Fly in programs are where colleges pay for students to come visit, which makes it possible for low-income students to be boots-on-the-ground for college visits. (So cool, right?!)
These usually take place in the fall, but applications are usually due in the summer!
Before you start soaking up the sun heading into your senior year, continue compiling a list of colleges, as well as touring campuses if possible, to get a feel of what different college campuses are like. Students should plan ahead for a summer doing volunteering, working, preparing applications, and making memories with friends and family!
This is also a great time to have a conversation with your family about what you can afford to pay for college, but keep in mind that scholarships and financial aid are available! Be sure to apply for raise.me and the College Board Opportunity Scholarship.
College Prep Activities for High School Seniors
You’re on the final leg! You’re almost ready to take on college. At this point, your senior pictures might have already been taken, you have your awesome half-day schedule, and you’re ready to take on any and all challenges that come your way!
You’ve taken all of the preliminary steps, and now it’s time to implement all of the groundwork you’ve done up until this point.
Academics
Colleges often require students to send in grades from their first semester of senior year as part of their application. As a student, it’s important to remember that all acceptances are conditional, and that colleges will always require a final high school transcript. During this time, you should continue to challenge yourself and maintain your GPA.
At the top of the school year, meet with your school counselor regularly to ensure that you are where you need to be. These meetings should always be productive and have an action plan to ensure you are on track to graduate high school and take your next steps!
Meeting with your counselor regularly can also be a space to discuss post-graduation plans, college applications, and more.
This would be a great time to practice time management and organizational skills! There will be a lot of opportunities presented to you to go on college tours, and even take advanced classes. However, be reasonable and realistic with your schedules.
Just because you can squeeze in another AP class, doesn’t mean that you should.
Building a college list
Your college list is your superstar during the beginning of your senior year! This should be your guiding light to get you to the finish line. Prioritize your list by what schools work for you considering the following:
Type of institution
Ideal Campus Size
Ideal Community Setting
Living on campus vs commuting
Distance from family/Geographic Location
Majors
Financial
Other fit factors
Admissibility
When you start your list, decide on 8-10 colleges. You’ll want to include likelies, targets and reaches, and at least 2 in-state public schools.
We encourage you to sign up for college visits and register to join college mailing lists through admissions websites. That way, you won’t miss any important dates and deadlines (or scholarships) that are school-specific.
Remember: A college might be perfect academically, but the campus environment might not be the right for you. Make sure to put yourself first and choose which school fits who you are as a person.
Writing college essays
The summer going into and the first couple of months of your senior year should also be spent brainstorming and writing college essays and personal statements.
Use brainstorming resources to outline your statement if you’re stuck.
Getting Organized and Meeting Deadlines
Keep a college tracker, complete with names of colleges, application requirements, and deadlines. Trust me, this will make your life so much easier and will help you stay on track with all deadlines.
In staying organized, remember to double check which application each college on your list accepts (Common, coalition, or the college’s own application). Mapping out your tracker by app-specific deadlines will help you in the long run, too!
Don’t be afraid to let your counselor and teachers writing your recommendations know that you have a set schedule, and remind them that you need it [way] before the application deadline.
Pro tip: Deadlines for Early Decision (binding) and Early Action (non-binding) are usually at the end of October or beginning of November.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Scholarships are your friend, and FASFA has your back. It’s super important to note that there are many different types of financial aid that can be broken into aid that you don’t pay back, and aid that you do pay back. Below are some details!
Money Students DON’T Pay Back
Grants
Money based on family income that does not need to be paid back.
The Pell Grant is an example of a federal grant that is available to students with significant financial need.
Scholarships
Money that is usually based on achievements that does not need to be paid back.
Through programs like the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Questbridge, Posse, Coca Cola, students can get external scholarships that will help cover the cost of tuition regardless of where they matriculate. Apply for state and local scholarships, and also research more nation-wide opportunities!
Sources
This money can come from federal or state governments, colleges/universities or external programs. Usually they require an application.
Money Students DO Pay Back
Loans
Money from either the government, or from private companies that has to be repaid.
Work-Study Programs
Federal program where the student typically works a campus job in return for some portion of financial aid, meaning that the financial aid is repaid through labor into of money.
Reminder: You should always ask if a college offers financial aid packages with no loans.
There are also ways for you to determine the cost of college! For a more accurate estimate of the cost to attend a school use that school’s Net Price Calculator. However, this requires the student to have extensive knowledge of their family’s finances, so make sure you have a deep understanding of that.
There are also different types of financial aid forms that you should know about! Here is a quick rundown of what they are:
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
FREE federal application form that helps determine your eligibility for grants, loans, work-study, and more to help you pay for college or career school. This form is necessary to be eligible for need-based financial aid.
The form must be filed every academic year that you are in school. Upcoming federal deadlines for FAFSA are:
June 30, 2024 for school year 2023-24
June 30, 2025 for school year 2024-25
*Note: Each state and each school may have its own deadline separate from the federal deadlines listed above. You can check state deadlines here. In addition, we recommend checking with the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend for information on available school/state aid and deadlines.
For more information about how to apply, check out this guide.
The CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service)
A supplementary financial aid form required by certain schools and scholarship programs in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. Check if your institution/program uses CSS profile here.
The CSS Profile is $25 for the initial application to one institution, and $16 for each additional institution. You may qualify for a fee waiver if your family makes up to $100,000 a year. Learn more about fee waivers here.
For more information about how to complete the CSS Profile, check out this guide.
College-Specific additional forms
Some of the more selective colleges require an additional set of forms that they themselves have created. While these are time consuming to fill out, they don’t have an additional fee associated with them.
Making a Decision
So, you’ve done all of the prep that you possibly can for this moment, and it’s time to make a decision! Here are some helpful things to consider, and how you can make the process a lighter lift:
Compare award letters (financial aid packages) to the costs of each college. Here's an Award letter calculator that can help you!
Talk with your family about which college is the right fit. Don't worry, there are no WRONG decisions, just choices to be made! You're going to big things in life, no matter where you go to college!
Make sure after you make the decision, you check your email and school portal. Be prepared for a lot of to do items coming your way! Here’s an example after decision making checklist that will help you stay organized!
Final Thoughts on Preparing for College
College is a venture that is intended to help people in many different ways, from receiving a higher education to learning what life is like outside of high school. The way students want to use their experience may vary but you should always work hard, both in and outside of the classroom. We’re cheering you on!!!
Need more help learning how to prepare for college? Download our college prep checklists for 9th-11th grade, or the version for high school seniors.
Prefer to work through your college plans with an academic coach? Sign up today to get free college counseling through UPchieve!