Juan Manuel, it’s great that you are beginning to think about your future in college!
It is never too early to begin researching colleges and looking at their programs to decide what programs you are interested in. You can begin looking at the application requirements and make note of the application deadline. You will be required to write an essay. I suggest that you connect with professors who you feel comfortable with and who would be willing to help you with your essay and provide you with edits.
You can start looking at scholarship opportunities. Applying for scholarships can be time consuming. Make a list of scholarships and their deadline. Please visit our page under
Paying for college.
Right now is also a good time to start the college visit process, to ensure you have plenty of time to make decisions and apply. You may want to check with the admissions offices of the schools you are interested in to see if they have special visit days coming up. Note that most colleges and universities have special visit days throughout the year. These days are often on weekends and are a very in-depth look at a school. Also, for a productive visit, inform yourself about the college/university you plant to visit such as background, statistics of students/majors/professors, and about their financial help.
You do not have to pay to visit a college; however, if you plan on visiting a college that is out of your city, then you will need to cover your traveling costs (transportation, food, housing, etc.) If you or your parents do not have the funds to travel to other colleges, you should consider organizing a fundraiser, visiting in groups to minimize the cost, or visiting the college/university “virtual tours” under admission or at www.youniversitytv.com (http://www.youniversitytv.com/colleges). Note that if you are unable to visit a school due to distance, you may want to contact their recruitment/admissions office to see what your other options are.
Finally, I encourage you to become active if you are not already. Join a committee or organization at your school. There are also plenty of volunteering opportunities that you can get involved with. Universities want to see that applicants are active within the community.
Good luck!
- Jazmin Cameron, LIC Advisor
