5 Simple Steps for Summer College Planning
(pssst..this is for ANY grade)
by Emma Marie
College approaching? The school year can be jam packed for students, especially with extracurriculars and course loads getting heavier! In order for your student to approach the college search with confidence, I want to provide 5 SIMPLE steps to take action on this summer!
STEP 1. Attend Virtual Information Sessions or Tours
Of course you can opt in to attending in person sessions for these; however, many schools will offer virtual tours and information sessions. Larger schools may team up with several schools to present information...which offers a treasure trove of information, all while maximizing your time!
STEP 2. Create a Personalized Email Account for College Prep
When your student opts in to receive information from a college, they are demonstrating interest. By having them create a separate email for their college search, it will keep them organized with emails from their top universities. PLUS, they can keep all of the essay, scholarship, and application information organized through GoogleDocs. As a plus - once they make their college decision, it tends to be easier to review emails quickly from admissions officers, financial aid, advisors, etc.
STEP 3. Create an account on a College Exploration website
There are MANY helpful websites that are available to help students make their college decision easier. The trick here is to make one account and keep it updated. Here are a few recommendations of websites that my students have found helpful.
1. Niche.com
3. Chegg.com
STEP 4. Explore Future Careers and Majors
Most students think that they have to know exactly what they want to do the moment that they step into college. While that is not true, having an idea of a few majors is helpful! A great tool to explore options is SAT.org/CareerFinder.
Questions for your student to ponder:
1. What do I like to read about in books/magazines?
2. What subject or extracurricular am I most excited to learn about?
3. What can others trust me with?
STEP 5. Find out what Current Students are Saying
Your student needs to see and hear what current students at universities are saying (plus, I think it' s helpful for parents, too!) YouTube has a plethora of personal vlogs from current students at universities, which helps the viewer see a personal experience! Another great resource to try is CampusReel.Org AND, it never hurts to reach out to the Admission office to see if there are any upcoming student panels!
Emma Marie
Emma is the founder of ‘Coach Emma Marie | Your College Coach’. She has a combination of over 7+ years of experience in college admissions and coaching young adults through life’s transitions. During her free time, you can find her planning another travel venture, drinking cold brew while catching up with a friend, or at her local Cycling Studio.