If you can read this web page, you are old enough to start thinking about college. Education beyond high school can open up a world of possibilities for you and help fulfill your dreams for the future. Visit the site Think College Early so that you (and your parents) can learn about choices you can make as early as elementary and middle school to help you plan for college. For students who are preparing to enter, or working their way through, high school, What's Next After High School offers a great overview of things you will need to do each year between eighth grade and the time you start college. Your parents might want to download a guide written just for them, Preparing Your Child For College. Another Preparing for College Guide from the College is Possible foundation offers parents advice to help guide you from pre-school through high school.
Now that you are excited to start thinking about college, you have many different things to consider. But don't worry. You have time to make your decisions and there are lots of online resources to help you. First you might want to check out some college planning guides that will help you understand all the different phases of the process, from deciding what and where you might like to study through applying to college and finding financial aid to help you pay for your education. If that sounds like a lot to do, you can consult some planning timelines to help you figure out when you should be making certain plans and decisions. Of course, your main job right now is to work hard in school, in order to learn all you can and to establish the kind of academic record that will appeal to college admissions offices. You should also plan to take your college entrance exams on time. Selecting a college is certainly a big undertaking, but there are several college search engines that can help you find the school that is right for you. Some of these sites will even help with the application process. You and your parents may also need to think about how you will pay for college. Fortunately, there are a number of resources to explain the financial aid process and to help you find grants, loans and scholarships. As you plan for college, make use of your human resources as well. You and your parents can ask plenty of questions of your teachers, guidance counselors (see Twenty Questions to Ask Your School Counselor) and representatives of the colleges that you are considering. Of course, Aunt Robyn is always happy to help too.
Good Luck and Have Fun.
Love,
Aunt Robyn
It all starts with you. College can help you develop to your full potential and start the path to a successful career. But you must make choices that best suit your interests, learning style and goals. The following sites will help you take stock of what you want out of college and offer you guidance for all the decisions you must make to complete the college application process.
Education Planner a guide through various stages of the process with some very helpful articles and tools that will help you make informed decisions.
Mapping Your Future great lists of helpful suggestions for planning a career, selecting a school and paying for college. Many of the tips also provide links to other online resources. There are also sections that parents and guidance counselors might use to participate in this process with you.
Maryland College Answer an overall planning guide with helpful hints for every stage of planning, selecting and financing your college education.
Preparing for College a guide for high school students prepared by the U.S. Department of Education. This site also includes sections on choosing a college, applying for college and funding your education.
Sallie Mae's College 101 tips to help you find the college of your choice and start making your financial plans.
Resources and Tips as You Begin Your College Search a series of links and articles from the National Association for College Admission Counseling
If the whole application process seems a bit overwhelming, don't worry. The following sites will help you organize your work, month by month and year by year. They will also keep you on track to make sure you don't miss any important deadlines for tests, college applications and financial aid paperwork. Start looking at these timelines early so that you have plenty of time to think about your decisions and to discuss them with people who are important in your life. Don't forget to relax and have fun, too. This is an exciting time, full of possibilities.
College Planning detailed advice for each year of high school from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
KnowHow2Go offers planning guides for students from middle school through each year of high school.
Maryland Mentor Planner Timeline outlines detailed guidelines for tasks to complete each year from the 8th - 12th grade. Follow the links near the top of the page to select your grade. There's also a useful printable checklist for each year that will help you stay organized.
Senior Calendar the Maryland Higher Education Commission offers this month by month guide for high school seniors
Starting Points: Your High School Action Plan The College Board offers this guide with important pointers for each year of high school.
The best thing you can do to prepare for college is to make the most of your high school education. The skills you develop and the knowledge you gain are valuable on their own and they will help ensure your success in college. It might also help you to know that college admissions officers consider a student's high school GPA to be the best predictor of how successful that person will be in college. The following articles from the College Board offer some advice to help you succeed in high school and develop good study habits for the future.
You will need to take a college entrance exam such as the SAT or ACT. College admissions officials look to these tests to help them decide if you are a good match for their school. You may feel a little nervous about taking such an important test, but there are many things you can do to lower your level of anxiety and to increasing your chances of having a successful test-taking experience. At these sites you can read more about the tests and learn some strategies to help you make the most of the experience.
ACT a site for students with details about registering for the test as well as resources to help you prepare. There are preparation guides you can purchase, but the site also offers general test descriptions, tips and sample tests for free.
College Board Tests information from the College Board about the SAT, PSAT and other college entrance tests
Peterson's College Bound Test Prep Center free test preparation tips for a range of college entrance exams as well as online courses that you might take for a fee
The SAT Preparation Center from the College Board, this site offers resources that will help you prepare for the test, including information about the new essay requirement, practice questions and an article with some useful Test Taking Approaches
Three Down and Dirty SAT Techniques another article with tips for taking the college entrance exam
There are many factors to consider when selecting the college that you would like to attend. It's important to find a match that is right for you. After all, you are going to spend four years of your life there and have experiences that will be important to your future. The sites below will give you some great advice for questions to ask and factors to consider when selecting a college. Don't forget to check out some of the search engines. They will ask a series of questions about your interests and then suggest some colleges that you might consider.
You can learn about some factors to consider in selecting a college from these articles:
Choosing a School
Factors to Consider in Selecting a College
Easy Ways to Start Your College SearchYou can conduct a customized search online through any one of the following sites:
CollegeNet
College Board: College Matchmaker
CSO College Search
National Center for Educational Statistics
FSA: CollegeFinder
Peterson's: College Bound HomeOnce you have identified some schools that might interest you, take time to learn more about these schools first-hand. Check out the schools' websites and then plan a trip. Here are some articles to help you make the most of your campus visit:
Be a Campus Detective
Campus Visit Checklist
Preparing for a College Campus Visit
Ten Tips for Searching College Websites
Ten Ways to Test Drive a College
When to schedule Your College Visit
By now you have probably figured out that it takes money to attend college. But don't let that stand in your way! Most students receive some kind of financial assistance and there are a number of resources to help you and your family pay for your tuition and living expenses. Your best strategy is to learn as much as you can about all the possible sources of aid then make sure to complete your applications in plenty of time to meet the deadlines. The following sites will help guide you through the process and acquaint you with the different potential sources of aid. Don't forget to check out the scholarship search engines. They can help you find scholarships that match your interests, achievements and background.
Introductory Guides
These guides will help you understand the range of sources and application procedures. As you navigate the literature about financial aid, you might want to keep this glossary handy in case you encounter unfamiliar terms. A College Financing Calculator may help you and your parents assess your resources and your needs. Make sure to Break Down the Bill in order to get a complete sense of what it will cost to attend college. Once you have completed the financial aid process, if you feel you still need assistance, consider the suggestions in the article How to Spend Less and Get More.
About Financial Aid check out the topics and questions for students, parents and counselors in the left column of this site from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
AES Education Planner: Paying links offer helpful sources and tips on every aspect of financial aid, from a timeline and glossary, to a search engine for scholarships.
College Board: Pay for College a range of very useful articles that will help you through various stages of the financial aid process. It offers particularly useful tips for understanding your aid award and seeking additional sources of funding if you feel your initial package is not sufficient.
FinAid overview of different kinds of aid with tips for how to complete financial aid applications
Funding Your Education links to a range of resources relevant to federal and state financial aid programs
State and Federal Aid
The state and federal government offer a range of options for financial aid. The sites listed below will help you learn more about this aid and navigate the application process. Once you select the colleges where you plan to apply, also make sure to check out the web site for the Financial Aid Departments of those schools. For example, prospective Towson University students can make an online visit to the Towson University Financial Aid Department. When you physically visit the campus of your choice, try to schedule an interview with the office. Here are Ten Questions to Ask the Aid Office.
FAFSA The U.S. Department of Education free application for federal student aid.
Funding Your Education this publication from the U.S. Department of Education that you can download or view online, presents a great introductory overview of federal grant, loan and work/study options for students below the senior year of high school
Maryland Higher Education Commission: Student Financial Aid information about financial aid available in the state of Maryland. This site also includes other helpful resources about paying for college and finding a school in state that may be right for you. You might also want to consult the complete list of State Financial Aid Assistance Programs and Applications. The MHEC Student Outreach Kit provides some additional practical guidelines for finding financial aid.
Scholarship Searches
Over the years many kind people have donated money to college scholarships because they want to make sure that talented students are able to fulfill their potential. Fortunately, this means that there are scholarships available to students who need help paying for college. But you have a job to do too. First of all, you must work hard in high school to earn the kind of grades and other accomplishments that will make you eligible for scholarships. (Many scholarships require you to maintain these grades once you are in college as well.) You must also do a little searching in order to find the scholarships for which you might qualify. The following search engines will help you conduct a customized search for scholarships:
College Board Scholarship Search
CollegeNet
FastWebThere may also be an online scholarship database at the school you plan to attend. The Towson University Scholarship Seeker is one example.
Savings Plans
Regardless of how far along you are in your education, there is still time to save for college. Here are some options that will help you and your parents set aside some money to help pay for college:
College Savings Plan of Maryland
College Savings Plans Network
Tax Benefits for Education
Your College Savings Options
This site is dedicated to
Carmen, Brandon, Preston, Morgan, Kelsey, Rebecca,
Sofia, Claire, Rosemary, Garrett, Shelbey, Katherine, Daniel, Sarah, James,
Vincent, Owen and George.
I know I can
I know I can
Be what I wanna be
Be what I wanna be
If I work hard at it
If I work hard at it
I'll be where I wanna be
I'll be where I wanna be
be be
Boys & girls listen up
You can be anything in the world
-Nas
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