As the school year gets into full swing, the Seniors are contemplating possible career choices, colleges, and their future.
Many seniors are starting to narrow down their top colleges and starting to prepare for their school/career next year. There are a few tips that could help seniors throughout the process to apply to schools. Many colleges have opened up their web sites for the application process. There are a some tips that may help when applying to colleges.
“The most helpful advice for seniors through the college planning process would be being organized and knowing your deadlines. Having a good calendar system is going to be extremely helpful for seniors,” said counselor Jamie McKenna.
In conjunction with the application process, there are scholarships that will be available to students throughout the year. Seniors need to take the time to apply for the scholarships. There are three types of scholarships. The national scholarships are scholarships that are available throughout the United States for students. State scholarships are scholarships offered within different states. Local scholarships are scholarships within the community that clubs, stores, and local groups like to award students. Scholarships will begin appearing in the College and Career Center after the holidays, so make sure to keep checking in with them and also checking the Schoology page for seniors. When filling out scholarships, there are some tips that will make the process a little easier.
“Take your time looking at the packets or whatever information you’re looking at and choosing the ones that apply to you or the ones that you think you will have a good chance of winning because a lot of time can be wasted when it could be better used all on one scholarship or on two scholarships,” said college and career secretary Christine Applehans.
The school year has been in session for about two months. Many students are ready to graduate. Before long, seniors will be walking across that stage with their diplomas and waving goodbye to high school.
“Enjoy your last year of high school. You are never going to get this time back, so make the most of it. Take advantage of what the school has to offer,” said parent Kari Arroyo.
There are so many different colleges out there that range in size, location, majors, minors, and other things. Every person is searching for something specific when looking at colleges. Therefore it is a great idea to do some research and go on college visits to find out if the college is a good fit. Make sure to know the requirements that need to be met in order to get into the college.
“The biggest suggestion I would have is finding the right fit for the individual students. Every college isn’t for every student. Try to figure out what is going to be the best school or the best fit for the individual students and what their needs are,” McKenna said.
Overall, make sure to be connecting with the counselors if questions arise. Make sure to be checking the senior Schoology page and the college and career center throughout the year to get all the information that’s needed. The counselors, Mrs. Applehans, and other staff are here to help seniors succeed and keep them on the track to success. They are a great resource and are happy to help through the application process and with any other questions that students may have.