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PLANNING AHEAD
YEAR BY YEAR
Planning for college can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s much more manageable when you break it down into steps throughout your high school career. BY RUTH CORRADI BEACH
FRESHMAN YEAR
The first year of high school is the time to start taking the courses that will set you on your path, and guidance counselors can help ensure you’re getting started on the right foot.
“Freshmen should be taking classes in core academic subjects,” says Jennifer Folden, director of strategic communications and college relations at Zane State College, a community college in Zanesville. “Students want to be taking the most challenging classes they can in those core academic subjects.”
For freshmen who have selective colleges they are considering, it is a good idea to look at the course requirements as well as GPA and applicable test score requirements for admission, adds Tracey Dysart Ford, vice president for enrollment management at Defiance College.
“This way, you can work with your guidance counselor to make sure you are on track,” she says.
Early coursework decisions are important so students can consider Advanced Placement or College Credit Plus classes. (Students ready for College Credit Plus classes can take them as early as seventh grade). Some institutions grant course credits for passing grades on Advanced Placement tests, while College Credit Plus work is guaranteed to transfer to Ohio public colleges or universities. Students can graduate high school with college credits free of charge.
“Freshman students also should be considering what they’re doing outside the classroom, be it athletics, student leadership or community service,” advises Elaine Ruse, associate vice president of student enrollment and business services at Youngstown State University.
“The biggest thing would be to stay involved in school or community-based activities that interest them and even lets them explore career interests,” says Ruse. “Consider volunteering or working or both.”
It is also a good idea for students to keep track of what they participated in over the course of their high school career.
“Students should start keeping an extracurricular resume which will be helpful for future scholarship applications,” Folden says. “Leadership and community service are great application and resume builders.”
SOPHOMORE YEAR
For students who haven’t started to do so already, the second year of high school is the time to start thinking about specifics.
“Sophomore year is a good time to consider factors of what you want in a college or university: distance, majors, activities, athletics, campus environment, size of student body and affordability, to name a few,” says Dysart Ford.
All of these factors can help guide your class schedule soph-
omore year. Folden notes that this is a good time to make decisions about Advanced Placement or College Credit Plus courses to pursue during the second half of high school.
“Researching future careers can help narrow preferred colleges and options on what students want to do for the remainder of their high school careers, including staying at the high school or moving to college-level courses,” she says.
If you know you’re interested in a particular school, be sure to keep up to date with their offerings. (For example, sophomore year is the time when students interested in Zane State College’s Pathways to Engineering and Pathways to Business programs should apply.) Also be sure to make sure your high school path is matching with the college you hope to attend.
“Look again at what is required for colleges on your broad list,” Dysart Ford says. “Make sure you are on track with course selection and consider leadership opportunities for extracurricular activities.”
Ruse encourages students to balance coursework and outside activities during the sophomore year of high school.
“They should take enough classes that it’s a balanced year, so they’re not overloading themselves, so they can perhaps pursue volunteerism,” she says “At YSU, we have a robust honors college, where not only do we evaluate incoming students for merit-based scholarships, but our honors college also has school funding and separate applications that ask students to talk about their volunteerism and what they’ve been involved in.”
JUNIOR YEAR
When it comes to college admissions, your junior year of high school is a pivotal time. Folden says that colleges and universities base their admissions and scholarship on work done to the point of application, “so, the junior year is extremely important, particularly for students who started off not so well.”
The third year of high school is also the time to really concentrate on the colleges you’ll be targeting. Many schools require certain ACT or SAT scores, so consider a test prep class. If expense of such courses is a barrier, counselors can point you to free preparation assistance online.
As far as campus visits, go to as many places as you can. Lots of colleges offer preview days or weekends for high school juniors.
“If your school [of choice] requires a formal interview for admission, find out who your admissions counselor is at the school and when interviews are held,” recommends Dysart Ford. “Some schools consider how many times you have reached out to them as a sign of strong interest.”
Find out as much as you can about financial aid available to you, both at your chosen college — many offer programs to help — and through the federal government.
“[At YSU,] we have a financial-aid program we host every year on campus and in [area high schools],” explains Ruse, adding the college also hosts a virtual financial aid night each January. She encourages students to estimate their financial aid by using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forecaster (find it at FAFSA4caster.com). It helps students and parents estimate the amount of aid they could receive based on student and family income and asset information.
Also start looking into outside scholarships by asking your counselor or researching one of the many free websites that list them. Finally, keep track of early-decision, early-action and regular-decision application deadlines for your chosen schools. It’s a good idea to make a calendar.
SENIOR YEAR
The final year of high school is packed, so it is a good idea to go into it with a plan to stay focused and organized as far as the college selection process goes.
“Work on the college search process each week,” Folden says. “Do not let it build up or it will be overwhelming.”
She advises assembling a binder so that everything is in one place, which makes it easier to juggle campus visits, scholarship information and college applications. Keep close track of application deadlines and ask for help meeting them if you need it. Your counseling department or English teacher can offer help with essays, and you may need to ask for letters of recommendation, so give yourself time to collect them.
“Please give teachers, coaches and counselors plenty of advance notice,” says Dysart Ford.
Another date to note is Oct. 1. That’s when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, opens each year for students to complete (get more information about it on page 4). Once completed, you’ll have an idea of how much financial aid you might be able to receive from the federal government, but that’s only part of the financial equation.
Colleges that accept your application will send financial-aid packages that include offers they are able to make, be it merit grants (which you don’t have to pay back) or loans (which you do). The aid a college offers you will likely influence your final decision, Folden notes.
When it comes to cost, consider all the factors. A large offer at one school may be less valuable than a smaller offer at another. If you’re not satisfied with a school’s first offer, don’t be shy about asking again. Most financial-aid offices have specific forms for just this purpose.
Finally, don’t stress about the decision. Or at least don’t stress too much.
“Choose the college that is best for you and do not compare to what others are doing,” Folden says. “Choose the college where you feel at home.”
