HELPFUL HINTS ON HOW TO GET INTO COLLEGE: IT'S ALL ABOUT TIME!
During my years of high school, I did a lot of research about colleges and the application process. Because of this, I will share a few helpful ideas and suggestions that I had to discover from friends or on my own and that your high school guidance counselor might not tell you -- this area is under construction and a lot more will be added soon!
The following is some basic, temporary information while I
work on my left-handers list and other parts of my page:
1. It is very important to think ahead and budget your time so you don't miss any important deadlines. For example, most colleges and universities require students to take the SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test), but this nationwide examination is not offered every month of the year and you may not be available on the one day that it does happen each month. Here is a list of things you should do to prepare:
- Think a lot about what you want to do after high school. Are you interested in attending community college? A local four-year college? A technical institute or specialized college? A private competitive university? Enlisting in the army? Taking a year off to work? Since you're looking at my page right now, you're probably at least considering some type of college or university. Talk with your parents and relatives. Make sure they know what you are thinking about for the future. Don't be discouraged right away because you don't have enough money to go away to school or choose a certain college. It's just good to talk about your options with everyone you can.
- Find out more about which options you should consider. If you don't know which colleges you'll be likely to be admitted to, try the college search option on the College Board website. Also, talking with your high school counselor or spending a few hours looking at school information at the public library or on the Internet can help you make a list of college choices that will satisfy your needs in terms of distance from your home, which majors it offers (if you are fairly sure of your career goals), diversity of the student population, size of the campus, and selectivity of the school. Try to narrow the list down to 25 colleges or fewer. Make sure you include (or at least investigate) colleges of all these types: community colleges, four-year colleges or universities close to your hometown or relatives you could stay with, four-year (public and private) schools elsewhere in the United States and world. Also, every college book I've read says to consider colleges with different levels of competitiveness in admissions -- you don't want to apply only to Ivy League universities, get rejected from all of them, and only have the option of a junior college at home. If your relatives or teachers have suggestions for you, add those to your list as well. At this point, leave your options open.
- Gather information about the colleges on your list. This shouldn't cost you a dime, and should be fun if you enjoy getting mail! If you haven't already received mail from various colleges and universities (because you requested them through the PSAT or another career program), start now! Or if some colleges that you were considering didn't send you anything, you can still get information. Luckily, you have access to the Internet so you can get information about many colleges this way. Most schools will send you brochures, admission statistics, applications (so you can see what they're looking for), and other information just because you showed interest. You can probably get campus tours or schedule to talk with students in your intended major. Colleges and universities want to help you and answer your questions -- be sure to take advantage of this! Get information about which tests you need to take and should take to get into each school and dates you need to take tests by and turn in your application on. A good site if you're considering University of California schools like UC Berkeley (GO BEARS!!!), is this new "UC Pathways" site. This site also has charts so you can determine the selectivity of each college here.Talk with state four-year schools and know what their policies are for transfering from junior colleges and what you need to do to improve your chances of being able to transfer.
- Before the summer is over, figure out which standardized tests you need to take or retake before turning in your application and when you will take them . Mark them on your calendar now! Each college requires different exams and there are certain minimum scores you must get to even be considered for some college systems. Find out about this early! Some common exams required are the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test, which has Verbal and Math sections), SAT II Subject Tests (there are many types of these, but most schools suggest you take Writing, Math, and one other subject you're good at), and the ACT (American College Test, similar to the SAT with Reading, English, Math, and Science sections). If you have a choice between taking the SAT and ACT (which emphasize different material), take practice tests for each one and see which one consistently gives you a higher score. Also, you will probably want to consider taking AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) exams to demonstrate your abilities in subjects you like. I know that AP tests are only given once a year and I'm not sure about IB classes, but you should fit these into your plans. If you are trying to gain admission to a very competitive college, try to take AP exams if you think you are especially talented in a certain subject area (on your own after studying prep. books if your school doesn't offer the tests). To find out dates and details about the SAT, SAT II, and AP tests and to register for them (which you need to do), go to the College Board Website. Don't forget to check out the ACT Website and the International Baccalaureate Website. I know all these tests sound overwhelming, but feel free to e-mail me (see bottom of page) with questions and I'd be glad to help you or give you more resources.
- Know that you are in control of many factors that determine the college you'll attend. You can control your grades, test scores, the extracurricular activities you do, the essay you write for the application, and which colleges you apply to. Make sure you are taking the classes you need to complete for college. There may still be time to register for summer school at your high school or a community college if you feel you need to catch up on course requirements. Also, many scholarships are available for you if you plan ahead and spend adequate time on the applications. If you are unsure of what you need to do, keep looking at college websites and look at information from your high school if it is provided.
- Prepare for the standardized tests you'll be taking or retaking. The best way to spend a few extra hours of your time this summer is practicing the tests you'll be taking in the fall. If you have any questions about the SAT, I can try to answer them or give you more information. I have taught SAT classes and workshops to high school students in Oakland and Berkeley through a non-profit student group, The People's Test Preparation Service, at UC Berkeley.
If you live in the Bay Area and might be interested in our free services, please click here to visit the webpage.
To find free online practice SATs and test-taking resources, click here..
- Look at my grade-specific suggestions here. The ideas I've written work well at the times I've listed, but you still have enough time to get into college, even if you'll be a high school senior in the fall. If you've already graduated from high school, you can still investigate local junior colleges and register for the fall semester. It's still possible to arrange to transfer to another school you're more interested in. In fact, it's never too late to get into college if you want to do it!
GOOD LUCK APPLYING TO COLLEGE - I HOPE THIS HELPED YOU!
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If you've got general college or SAT questions or you have questions about UC Berkeley, I'd be happy to try to answer them or to refer you to additional resources. [email protected]
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