What I wish I knew then... We asked several college freshman what advice they’d give to high school juniors going through the application process and here are some of our favorites.
“Don’t dismiss a college based on its sticker price. Many schools, especially private ones, have opportunities to receive grants.” Abbey
“I didn’t realize that colleges tracked my Internet presence when I was applying to their schools. They recommend joining their social media pages: Instagram, Facebook, etc. The more I participated digitally, the more connected I appeared. The colleges want students that show interest in their schools.” Mia
“Don’t pretend to be a perfect student, just be genuine. Schools want to see real people who survive failures. They want students who make mistakes and learn from them.” Jamie
“Making a decision is hard. It was really helpful for me to have a Zoom call with one of the potential professors in my major. It made me realize what it would be like to be in that academic environment. Chris
Be sure to take advantage of the college readiness programs your high school offers. Your school counselors should have a list of webinars to attend.
“I wish I knew that I could appeal a college’s financial offer. You can reach out to a school and ask them to review the package they presented. Use your other college offers as a bargaining tool. It can’t hurt to ask!” Brendan
“Don’t apply to colleges that you don’t actually want to attend. It can be a waste of time and money so find ones that you really like and focus on those.“ Mike
Ben 24
College Bound Magazine
