college hunting

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are any other high school juniors out there freaking out right now? i'm scared s**tless!

Lucille, I know college searching is rather stressful, but you'll make it through okay. Calm down and start by making a list of things that you want in a college. The list can look something like: I want a big school with lots of classes, a good foreign language department, a couple of activities, near a big city, good financial aid.... This will help you narrow down your choices at least a little bit. Try searching online for different colleges.

Also, take the SATs and ACT. Many people who don't do well on one do better on the other. A lot of schools will accept both for standard test scores, but you should check with each school individually.

Above all else, don't forget to breathe. It is a chaotic time, but as long as you have decent grades and stuff, you should be fine. Remember, the best colleges aren't necessarily the big name colleges or Ivy League schools. There are plenty of state schools and smaller colleges that offer just as good of an education.

Learn as much as you can about what different colleges have to offer. Try attending college fairs or talking to your high school guidance counselor about what you need to do to be prepared to apply to colleges. And don't stress too much. If you apply to a few schools and don't get in, you can always attend community college for a couple of years and then transfer.

If you want more information or advice, feel free to PM me, okay.

I'm a highschool freshman, but I'm already looking into colleges. >.>

I like to plan out my future, so I already have an idea of where I want to go, heh.

Right, I realise this post wasn't really on topic, sorry...

You guys should go to George Mason. Thats where I am. If you come to George Mason you'll get to meet me and I'll give you a tour and stuff.

That would be cool. But I think for me, it would be smart to stay closer to home. I'm a high school Junior right now, so I'm thinking about college and I'm sort of freaking out as well. I'm thinking of going to PLU (Pacific Lutheran University); I'm not Lutheran, but it has an awesome music program, it's close to home (for emergencies and such), has a smaller student number, has a crosscountry team, and their study-abroad program is free the last time I checked. I have a couple other options, but PLU is on the top of my list. Is George Mason a cool school, Alex? My school that I'm currently going to is cool (eventhough it's a high school) since lots of the teachers are nice; especially my band teacher. It's a really cool program, and it's one of two "groups" that I fit into. Anyways, nice to know that other aspies are a little scared about college as well.

Well, I am a high school senior. Anyway, I figure that deciding a college isn't too big of a deal. Just decide what is important to you, look at the colleges that you can get into or get good scholarship from(depending on your academics). Try not to get too attached to any one school (it tends to disrupt your ability to look at these things logically). Just try to look at college as a transition to another place rather than an end or anything or better yet don't think of college too much, just remember to apply. Try not to stress out too much, it also helps if you know what you want to major in too. All you have to do as a junior is decide where you might be interested and just narrow it down using whatever reasons you consider good.

Yep.
Sure it's stressful, you just need to calm down and keep things in perspective. Besides, you have a whole year to think about and research all the colleges you want to try, so just try to keep calm and optimistic about the whole thing...

I'm a high school sophomore and I'm already looking at various college sites and considering what I want in a college. I haven't picked a specific one yet, but I have come up with a vague set of requirements or things that I really want in a college (in my case, small, fairly personal classes, a decent pre-vet and language section, a campus not in the city, not in my current state, and a good academic rating).

I'm already getting mail from colleges interested in inviting me to go to their colleges (because when I took the PSAT I indicated that I'd like getting mail from colleges), and I've been keeping a folder of that.

Yeah, I was the same way. If you are looking to get into engineering, IT, or any kind of art program look into Rochester Institute of Technology. They are pretty well known for that. If you want any other kind of degree I still suggest here. I want some new CNC machining centers for the machine shop.

Come here to Coe we have small class sizes and you get to smell cereal every weekday when you walk outside (were right next to a quaker oats factory lol.)

Yeah I agree. I'm still trying to decide in a major that I want, eventhough I've narrowed it down to a top three. I really want to figure out my major before I get into college so that I could get things cleared up a bit and so that I'm not extremely stressed as well as wasting my money. I'm also kind of concerned with money, although not as much as before since I got this Achiever's Scholarship thing, which is pretty much Bill Gates giving us a scholarship to achieve any 4 year degree at pretty much any college in the whole state, although we still must pay for some of it. It's actually a pretty cool deal since we also get mentors and some other things (like this one camp this summer at a college), so it's not completely about money. Anyways, if I get into a private school, the average amount that we get through this scholarship for private schools is around $9,300 renewable for up to 5 years. I'm hoping to get some more scholarships through band and crosscountry, and (if I get into PLU) I'll apply for the scholarship that they give out that's $2000 renewable for 3 years for any Achiever's Scholar. I don't have it all planned out, but it's not completely nothing, and it's definitely worth a go from my standpoint.

Y'all are way ahead of where I was when I was a junior. I didn't start thinking about colleges until last September. I'd say to apply to a good mix of different schools- you never know what you'll want 6 months after you apply.

i just wnated to say that all through school counselors always told me to not worry about applying to private schools because they have money to give out to where they cost about the same as a public school. even with a presidential scholarship from a private school, I will still be paying almost twice as much as instate public school tuition. the only way you will pay the same for private as you would for public is if your parents make like no money and aren't fiscally responsible. the fafsa punishes you for saving, i say!! !! its evil!! ! and if you have a job as a teenager, that's counted against you because supposedly you're supposed to save all your money for college... rather than crap you need like food and clothes. im disillusioned, excuse me.

but try not to get stressed out about college. try to think of it as an exciting time in your life... its stress but it should be a good stress, you know what i mean?... i completely changed what i wanted to major in dudring fall of my senior year so i applied to bunch of different colleges, some with 6-year Pharm.D. programs ONLY and some with other majors too, like english and math etc etc. I suggest unless you're a billionaire going to a college within driving distance because those airfares will REALLY add up. also make sure you visit the college... im sure you know that though. it's really true when counselors say that you will just get "that feeling" when you find a goo done. the atmosphere is big thing. you want it to feel like home! thats one of the main reasons im going where i am next year.

and i dont know if you're like me but i applied to 7 schools because i was afraid i would get rejected from them all but isntead i got accepted to every one and got a schlarship for every one LOL so try not to put yourself down. dont be afraid to apply to places that might reject you... and also its ok to apply to places that you haven't visited... my counselors told me not to do that but i did and now im glad because sometimes you just can't fit in college vists during your senior year.


well yeah that was along post but since i am a senior right now and i just decided wehre im going to college i feel like sahring my experience.