WHY DOES EDUCATION MATTER?
Generally speaking, people with a postsecondary education have a higher median income than those with only a high school diploma (Center on Education and the Workforce, 2020).
Over a lifetime, a bachelor’s degree is worth about $2.8 million on average spanning one’s career, which is 84% more than those with only a high school diploma (Carnevale et al., 2020).
Finding a college or university can be very overwhelming due to so many factors that need to be considered. Especially if you aren’t even sure what you want to study.
So how do you get started?
STEP 1 – TAKE CAREER INTEREST SURVEYS
If you already have a good idea about what you want to be “when you grow up”, you are one of the lucky ones. However, if you still aren’t sure what kind of career you want, taking a career assessment and/or interest profile can help you get started.
STEP 2 – EXPLORE CAREERS THAT MATCH YOUR INTERESTS
Once you have a list of careers that match your interests from the career interest assessments, begin researching these careers to find out more about them. This will help you narrow down your options to those that you find most interesting. Knowing what career(s) interest you most will help you narrow your college research focus.
STEP 3 – MAKE A LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN A COLLEGE
When you make your list of things you are looking for in a college, keep your “must-haves” in a central location. You can use the College Search Pros & Cons spreadsheet in this section to get you started. Here are just a few things to consider when you are making a list of potential colleges:
Things To Include In Your List
- Majors/Areas of Studies
- Student/Teacher Ratio
- Retention and Graduation Rates
- Size of School/Enrollment
- Housing
- Family Tradition/Alumni Relation
- Cost of Attendance
- Basis for Candidate Selection
- Student Body Demographics
- Public vs Private School
- Faculty: % PhD’s vs % TA’s
- Special Study Options
- Organizations/Activities
- Average Financial Aid
- Campus Life
- Honors Programs
- Facilities
- Location/Climate
- Ethnic Representation
- Affiliations
STEP 4 – MAKE A LIST OF & COMPARE YOUR TOP 5 CHOICES
Try to narrow your college search down to your top 5 choices that meet your criteria AND those that offer a major for your career interest area.
You can use a form like the College Search Pros & Cons mentioned in Step 3 OR you can track them in your Tallo account. You can also download a college tracking app on your device such as the Niche College Search App, the College Lookout App and the Scoir App.
STEP 5 – GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR TOP 5 SCHOOL CHOICES
Here are things that colleges typically look for when admitting students:
- Rigor of high school coursework
- GPA/Rank
- SAT/ACT scores
- Essays (originality, sincerity, voice)
- Extracurricular activities/work experience
- Community service
- Positions of leadership
- Letters of Recommendation
- Interview or audition
- Level of interest in attending their school
Knowing what your schools of interest are looking for in an applicant will help you set goals for yourself.
STEP 6 – ATTEND A COLLEGE FAIR
You can attend a college fair in your local area or you can attend a virtual college fair. Use this as an opportunity to meet with college representatives to learn more about the schools you are interested in.
Also keep an eye on your student email for announcements regarding upcoming K12 virtual college tours!
STEP 7 – VISIT COLLEGES
Most of us don’t buy a car without giving it a test ride or purchase a home without walking through it. The same can be said about where you decide to attend college: it’s important to get a feel for where you’ll live, study, and make some life-long memories. Here are 5 reasons why a prospective student should make plans for a campus visit before they decide where they’ll attend school.
- Discover what it’s like to be a student – when you walk around campus, think about if you can see yourself there.
- Tour the Facilities – whether you know what you’ll major in or not, it is important to see what the campus has to offer.
- Life on Campus: Housing & Dining – Moving away from home is a big transition, and you want to enjoy where you live and eat. Be sure to tour the dorms and make plans to eat on campus.
- Talk to the Experts – When you’re visiting campus, set aside some time to chat with an admissions counselor. They can answer questions you may have about the application process, testing requirements (e.g., SAT, ACT, TSI), deadlines, and how to apply for financial aid.
- Learn more about the Academic Offerings – Know what you want to study? Make sure the University offers the major and or classes you’ll need. If you don’t know quite yet, that’s okay too! Learn about the different options and see what interests you the most.
Use these Campus Visit Checklists to help you know what to look for and what questions to ask on your campus visits!
STEP 8 – VISIT WITH YOUR COUNSELOR
Discuss your research, career interests, & top 5 school options. Get feedback regarding the information you have obtained. Here are some questions to ask your Counselor:
- Am I on the right track with my research?
- Do I have the academic record necessary to be a competitive applicant?
- What else could I or should I be doing to help improve my chances of getting admitted to one of my top 5 schools?
- Discuss the difference between Reach Schools, Mid-Range Schools & Safety Schools. How do your top 5 fit in to these categories for you?
- Reach Schools – Your academic credentials fall short of the school’s range for average freshmen.
- Mid-Range Schools – Your academic credentials fall within the range for average freshmen.
- Safety Schools – Your academic credentials are above the school’s range for the average freshmen. You can be happy here if it’s your only option.