Facts and Tips!

These facts should help as you plan for college....

  "101 Ways To Become The Perfect College Applicant", by KAPLAN
  WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR COLLEGE:
Statistics indicate that a student's success in college is more closely linked to high school rank than any other factor.
Admissions officers use SAT and ACT scores to gauge your academic potential in college, but grades and the quality of your courses are more important than your SAT and ACT scores.
Most Scholarship committees do not use high school GPA as a major determinant in evaluating scholarship potential.
READING is a natural SAT and ACT score booster.
You can take the SAT or ACT more than once - in fact, you probably should!
Make sure you're an active and involved student BEFORE your senior year.
If you don't already have a daily planner or electronic scheduler, get one. 
STEPS TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE FOR YOU
Apply to a minimum of six colleges: two dream colleges, two realistic colleges, and two safety colleges.
All colleges are not the same, so you need to research different colleges to find out what they are all about.
Talk to your parents about your college expectations - and theirs - before you begin your search.
Keep the "Six Factors to Finding a College" in mind - 1. Academics; 2. Location; 3. Size; 4. Campus Life; 5. Special Services; and 6. Cost.
Go virtual with your college search, and be sure and ask yourself "Will I really fit in on this campus"?
Go to a college fair, but don't fall for all the hype.  Do your research!
Call ahead to schedule a guided campus tour, and go when classes are in session.
If by chance you do make a mistake in your choice of school, transferring is not the end of the world.
HELPFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Let your parent's help you, and listen to their advice.
Take advantage of your high school guidance counselor's expertise.
It's not only WHAT you know, but WHO you know.  Get to know your college's admissions department.
Talk to your high school's alumni.
Find a mentor.
STEPS TO THE PERFECT APPLICATION
Start the application process early.  Send in applications as soon as possible after first quarter grades appear on your transcript.
Create a "professional" email address, and dedicate it to college-related correspondence.
Make yourself a resume, or "brag sheet", and a strong personal statement.
Apply for financial aid - even if you think you won't get any.
Letters of Recommendation are not the top factor in admissions, but they CAN make or break you.
  TEN THINGS TO REMEMBER ONCE YOU GET IN
Don't forget to send "Thank You" notes to those who helped you, and send "No Thanks" to those colleges you are turning down.
Make new friends at freshmen orientation.
Contact your new roommate at least once before you head off to college.
No one is going to push you to do well in class, you are going to have to push yourself.
You might get a little homesick at college - even if you couldn't WAIT to get there.
FIND YOUR DREAM.  FIND YOUR PASSION.  FIND YOURSELF!
  "Guide for the College Bound: Everything You Need To Know", By Larry Linamen, Ed.D.
 
  "College Gold: The Step-by-Step Guide to Paying for College", by Mark Kantrowitz