HarlemLIVE

It is expected, that by this time our readers that are high school seniors have already had the talk about college come around, and that many of you would have visited a few colleges already, and will be continuing to do so. In this the final year of high school, it is expected, that students would be taking the required courses to be better prepared for the SATs and for college admissions examinations.
There is a checklist that high school seniors should be ticking off, as each item is completed or achieved: check in with the school’s counselor to be sure that the courses selected or that the intended career path are on track.
Now, there are also many students who have, over the past three years, passed by the school counselor’s office without either stopping in or making an attempt to get to know him or her. Rather than be late, this is the time when high school seniors should be stopping by the counselor’s office to ask for advice on college decisions and have career questions answered. Additionally, it's important that counselors and students get to know each other, because it is the counselor who provides recommendations and other forms required by colleges.
In preparation, take time out and select at least eight colleges to which you would apply and obtain the application forms. For each college, look carefully and make a list of the application fees and travel costs to visit them, and as an exercise, may lower the number of colleges the student plans to attend, Some colleges, on their application process, waive certain fees, so it is best to explore, ask the admissions or financial aid departments. Alongside each college list, check and confirm deadlines, making a note on personal calendars. High school seniors at this stage of the application process should pay careful attention to deadlines and on the completion of applications, which are important to follow because a student can have his or her application denied or rejected from the admission’s process, if all the required materials are not submitted on time.
The schools on the list should be schools that were evaluated examining their qualities and rating your chances of acceptance, which are called 'match schools.' There are other types of school, called 'safety schools,' which are schools that a student is confident of getting into, and are usually city schools like the City University of New York (CUNY). Because of the high competition for colleges, safety schools become the alternative in the event a student is not accepted in a school of their choice. However, for many other students the colleges making up the State University of New York (SUNY) are not considered safety schools. These are 'reach schools,' because they are the ones to which a student’s high school academic grade average falls below the average for students the college usually accepts. While reach schools are obviously harder to get in to, that shouldn’t prevent students from applying.

There are several things to take into consideration when choosing to apply to a college:

Size of the Student Body: The number of students that attend the school will affect the college experience. A school with a student body with 5,000 or less may be just right for one person, while a school with 25,000 to 50,000 may seem mind-boggling to another. The kind of attention a student would receive from school services and counselors is based on the numbers of the student body. A student attending a college with a large student body is likely to have a long list of activities and academic majors to choose from, while there is a possibility of not much choice in a school with in a small student body.

Location of school: One important question is deciding to leave home, stay close to home, or maybe leave the country? Familiarity with the urban/city environment is one many New York City students cling to, where it's nice to have signs everywhere and to know where you are.  Schools in rural locations are usually not close to urban centers, and an experience to which someone from the city would have to get used, and because there are not too many places to hang out, it is easier to get well acquainted with the college community. A college’s suburban location does have a community outside of the school, where there are small towns and some times public transportation, however they may not run 24 hours as in New York City. For a high school student born and raised in the city who wants to get away from the hectic city life, a suburban school is probably the best.

Campus Life:  All colleges have a section that tries to answer questions about “campus life,” on their website, however, it's best to visit or call up and ask about it. Find out about the college’s extracurricular activities and athletics, as well as the things that happen within the community.
Housing and dormitory rules could likely affect opportunities where a student could have the option of choosing a roommate. If choosing to attend a college in the city without dormitory facilities there should at least be a housing plan. Students are encouraged to join fraternities and sororities, which could become surrogate families and which sometimes govern the school, or other times they are a great for those that like to get involved.

Academics: There are lists of majors and or academic programs from which a student is likely to choose. Indecision and unpreparedness over what subjects and courses to take could leave a student vulnerable. A student should finalize what he or she wants to study; a subject not only interested in but which would lead to a promising career. While prospective students could change their majors at anytime, avoiding selecting a course of study on an unfamiliar subject is unwise. No student wants to sit in a class that has already been paid for, and to suddenly realize that he or she has no idea why they are in the class. Research, research, research the class and the subject if there is some sort of interest. A person could go to school to be a doctor and five years later discover that he or she is a well-known fashion designer.

Cost: The cost of attending college is rising every year, but there's always some kind of financial aid support available. There are all kinds of student loans and payment plans depending upon the school a student intends to attend. For those students who are full time or part-time working students, a payment plan is good, especially if the fees per semester aren't too much to pay using a monthly payment plan. Don’t get confused, the cost of attendance does not include the tuition. Cost of attendance are: school technology fees, personal fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation, while the schools tuition is the amount needed per semester.

Food: All students need to eat, so when considering applying to an away school, enquire if there is a meal plan and how it works.

Retention: Determining a good college depends on examining their student retention rate, which is how many students remained or dropped out after their fist year. While these percentages give an idea of the contentment among students within the school, looking at the graduation rate also shows the success of the school.

For students armed with information about choices to consider, each is advised to continue to finalize his or her college list. If applying for early decision, submit all required documentation ON TIME. Start writing college essays and have English teachers or tutors to help you. When writing 'The Essay', include personal experiences, but nothing too personal, which gives the admissions staff an opportunity to become a little more familiar with the student. Be creative and stand out, do not opt for the common story, ie. a child of divorced parents, rather try something new. The college application process could be the first and most difficult, but it's promising. College is the first step toward the future, so be careful not to mess up.