The beginning of the year can be a very ominous time for all seniors. Applying to college, deciding where to go, and figuring out what to study are only a few of the decisions that a high school senior faces. These daunting tasks don’t have to stress the seniors out as much as they think. If taken one step at a time, the process will not seem as overwhelming.
The college process should start as early as freshmen and sophomore year, but at that point no one can know where they want to go, or what they want to do. In these first two years of high school keeping your grades up is the most important thing. Many freshmen aren’t thinking about college this early, so the thought of preparing for it seems ridiculous. The truth is, though, colleges see your grades from all four years of your high school career. The actions taken the first two years will affect college decisions.
Mr. Fox, who doubles as a guidance counselor and the college go-to-guy, says that you should really start thinking about college January of the junior year. At this time the student should start thinking about many different decisions, such as what to study, size and location of the college, and how far away from home that you want to go. All of these thoughts are vital to selecting the perfect college.
Once a list of schools has been made (done in the spring of junior year), the college visits start. Over the summer between junior and senior year is the perfect opportunity to visit these colleges. When at the visits, ask questions and engage with the staff at the colleges. At most colleges there is a specific admissions counselor assigned to our area of the country; get to know these people because they are usually the ones who read your application and decide whether or not to admit you. If they have a friendly face to associate with your name, it can help.
Once you have been accepted, Mr. Fox wants you to tell him, and “watch me do the dance of acceptance.” The most common problem with accepted seniors is "senioritis", or lack of trying in school. It is important that this does not happen! Many seniors do not realize that colleges can revoke their acceptance, leaving you scrambling. Most importantly, celebrate. The beginning of the year can be so stressful, so make up for it and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
