Your junior year of high school is the best time to begin preparing for your future. If you’re already thinking about the steps you need to take, you may find yourself thinking:
- What colleges should I consider?
- Will my grade point average be high enough to be considered by my top three colleges?
- How much money will I need to pay for college?
The good news is this: you are not alone and we are here to help. There are some things you can do right now to help you prepare for your senior year of high school and to prepare for your college years!
1. What do you want to be? Explore careers at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
2. What colleges should you consider? Having the right “fit” for you is essential to your academic success. The federal government offers some assistance in choosing the right college for you at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools.
3. Check with your high school counselor to inquire about college fairs and financial aid nights available locally for you. These events will help you learn more about particular colleges you are considering, and you will learn the basics of how to apply for financial aid.
4. Take exams for college admission such as SAT and ACT. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what requirements they have for admission.
5. Interested in seeing what financial aid you might be eligible to receive? The federal government offers a calculator called FAFSA4caster at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/estimate.
6. Search for scholarships! It is never too early to look around for scholarships to help you pay for college. Not sure where to start? Here are a few helpful places:
- There are many scholarship search engines such as www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com
- Check with your high school counselor
- Visit the reference section of your library
- Check foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses or civic groups
- Check with your employer (or your parents’) employers to see if they offer scholarships or reimbursement
- Military benefits
*Remember you do not need to pay someone to help you find scholarships. Always be on your guard against scams!
Contact the The University of Olivet admissions office at 800.456.7189, and set up a visit with an academic enrollment specialist. They can help you find answers to your financial and academic questions.