College Prep

“Preparing early for your college education will help you position yourself to get into the college you want. We recommend that you start as early as the eighth grade. Even if you are in your junior or senior year, however, you can still choose, apply, and get accepted to the college best for you, if you plan carefully.” For more information, visit www.ed.gov.

Prepare for college early.
Regardless of the grade you are in now, there are some general notes to remember and rules to follow to keep you on track:

  • Pay attention to deadlines and dates.
  • Keep in mind that even though they may not be required for high school graduation, most colleges require at least three, and often prefer four, years of studies in math, English, science, and social studies.
  • In addition to this, most colleges require at least two years of the same foreign language.
  • Your grades are important but the difficulty of your coursework can also be a significant factor in a college’s decision to admit you. In general, most colleges prefer students with average grades in tougher courses than students who opt for an easy A.
    You should also note that most high schools grade AP courses on a 5-point scale rather than the 4-point scale used for other classes, essentially giving students a bonus point for tackling the extra difficulty (e.g., a B in an AP course is worth as much as an A in a non-AP course).
  • College admission officers will pay the closest attention to your GPA, class rank, college credit, AP courses, and scores on standardized tests.
  • Participation in extracurricular activities is also a good idea in high school. Activities that require time and effort outside the classroom (such as speech and debate, band, communications, and drama) indicate a willingness to cooperate with others and put forth the effort needed to succeed.
  • Computer science courses or courses that require students to use computers in research and project preparation can also help aid your future college performance.

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ACT Test Prep Tips and Samples

Pre-Collegiate Summer Programs for Students

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