Applying to college can be an intimidating process if you don’t know the path to take. It can seem complicated, tedious, and at times just downright confusing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jessica Ann Wachel, a nursing student at Texas State University, would like to share the proper course of action when pursuing a college degree after high school.
(1) Develop a list of colleges.
Jessica Ann Wachel suggests compiling a list of schools you are interested in before completing your junior year of high school. By creating a list, you are giving yourself a tangible place to start. And completing it before junior year is an important part as well. Jessica Ann Wachel notes that some universities will require students to have completed certain courses before enrollment, so you will want to know what those required classes are before registering for your senior year classes.
(2) Graduate or pass GED.
Jessica Ann Wachel knows this step is pretty self-explanatory, but is a vital part in the college application process. You aren’t going anywhere without this.
(3) Take tests.
Taking the SAT and ACT are necessities now days. Jessica Ann Wachel suggests taking both early and often (as early as sophomore year for aggressive students). Jessica Ann Wachel preferred the SAT over the ACT, but every student will differ. By taking both, students learn what they score better on.
(4) Contact and Visit Schools.
Take a look at your list of colleges and see which ones you have a legitimate chance of being accepted in to. Then, contact and visit them. Jessica Ann Wachel found actually visiting campuses to be a great aid in finding the right fit for her. She was able to cross some schools off her list and move others up.
(5) Apply.
The next step is to actually apply to your list of schools. Jessica Ann Wachel suggests applying to three different categories: (1) Reach Schools (2) Target Schools (3) and Safety Schools. Jessica Ann Wachel explains them as follows: (1) Reach schools are schools you would love to go to but don’t expect to get in to. (2) Target Schools are schools you expect to get into and want to go to. (3) Safety Schools are your fallback schools in case nothing else works out.
As mentioned before, the process can seem intimidating at first. But Jessica Ann Wachel suggests taking it one step at a time. Applying for college should be an exciting opportunity, not a stressful task.