Juniors: Creating Your College Lists
Courtesy of Ivy Wise. Ivy Wise is an amazing resource and this article comes from their blog. It is excellent.
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Juniors: Tips to Help You Create Your College List Wed, College list resources for high school juniors Here are Some Resources to Help Students Build a Balanced College List Juniors: Do you know where you’ll be applying to college this fall? Now’s the time to create your balanced college list if you haven’t started already. Preparing for the Application Process The Common Application prompts will be announced, and many colleges will begin releasing their school-specific essay prompts in the summer. This means that current juniors have the opportunity to get a head start on their college applications during the summer before senior year. However, it’s hard for students to begin working on their college applications if they don’t know where they want to apply first. This is where students’ balanced college lists come in. What is a Balanced College List? A balanced college list is a collection of 10-15 best fit likely, reach, and target colleges, any of which students would be happy to attend. These schools should meet students’ academic, social, and financial goals. When building a balanced college list it’s important to consider all facets of a college, including academic and social opportunities on campus, the surrounding community, and more. Here’s how students can learn everything they need to about a college in order to build a balanced college list. Research is Key Thorough research is essential in order to create your college list. Start by identifying a few different institutions you’re interested in, and learn more about them! Do research on everything from courses and professors to extracurricular clubs and activities. If you’re still not sure where to start, talk to your college counselor about some of your academic interests and what you think you want in a college – things like size, location, campus culture – and research some of your counselor’s suggestions. Also, while rankings lists shouldn’t be the sole basis of your college list, you can learn a lot about a college based on the information they do provide to publications that create the rankings. You can also create your own rankings! After you’ve done your research online utilizing the school’s website and social media, and determined this is an institution you’re serious about applying to, you should try to visit if you can. While visiting during the summer is not ideal, it’s better than not visiting at all. Try to visit some colleges this summer if you can, and plan other college visits during the fall when school is in session if possible. Additional College List Resources Here are some additional resources to help you create your balanced college list:
