College Planning 101

The best time to begin planning for college is your first year in high school. Three experts explain why.

"Even before I started high school, I knew that I would go to college," says Amanda Sell, a freshman a6t Indiana University. "I have known since grade school that I really like science and that I like to help people, so I always thought that some day I would go to medical school and become a doctor."

Few young people find direction as easily as Amanda. Developing a four-year high school plan may be the first long-range planning experience students have.

At the beginning of the planning process, it's often difficult to know what questions to ask and whom to ask. To get you started, Career World asked two high school counselors and a college admissions counselor to respond to some of the most frequently raised student questions. The high school counselors are Harvey Kelber of Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, and Father Mike Hilldebrand of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Indiana, and the college admissions counselor is Gene Stern at Indiana University.

If you aren't sure yet which career path you'll take, how can you steer a course that leaves as many options open as possible?

Harvey Kelber: In general, a high school student should take four years of English, three years of math, three years of lab science, three years of social studies, and some foreign language study as well. Of course, it also depends on what colleges a student is interested in and what courses those schools require for admission. A strong, challenging class load, including these basic college preparatory requirements, is a must.

What resources do you recommend your students use in college planning?

Father Mike Hilldebrand: I encourage students to use the Internet for searching because there is so much information there. Career software programs--such as COIN Career Guidance System--also can help students search and narrow down their college choices. Different schools use different programs. I tell students to consult their family members and teachers, to read newspapers, and to talk to guest speakers who come to their high school about their careers and college choices.

HK: Maine West gives what is called a career interest inventory from 10th grade on up. From these we can tell what types of schools a student is interested in as well as the student's interests in general. I also recommend two other career software programs: Discover and GIS (Guidance Information System). The student plugs in answers to a series of questions about schools and scholarships. After filling in the form, the student clicks, and the software responds with a list of schools that meets the student's preferences.

What should a freshman o to start planning?

MH: A student needs to sit down and look at the long range. Someone who wants to attend Notre Dame should plan a high school curriculum that follows Notre Dame's guidelines. A student interested in science should take a heavy load of science. I also stress extracurricular activities beginning freshman year. (For instance, if a student wants to become a nurse, he or she needs to volunteer at a hospital.) They are also important when a student starts looking for scholarships.

HK: First semester freshman year is the most critical. Our counselors start by giving freshmen the requirements and telling them to work hard and keep their grades up. Students must realize at the start of high school that senior year is too late to try to get their grades up, because most colleges accept grades after the sixth semester or the end of junior year. At most high schools, counselors stress that a freshman prepare a four-year curriculum guide, strive to get good grades, and plan to take the ACT and the SAT exams.

What kind of college or career advice do you give the student who's "clueless"?

MH: Fifty percent of college freshmen change their minds about what they want to major in. Some students change majors four or five times. I recommend a liberal arts major because this covers most any subject area, and then a student can move on from there.

HK: Sophomores or juniors need to find out what jobs are out there. I tell students to talk to their parents and other adults about careers and possible schools to attend. I encourage students who have "no clue" to attend a college with many majors so that if they change their major, they won't need to change schools.

What advice do you give students who are in the middle of college searching?

MH: Visit colleges. Make sure you can see yourself on that campus. Also, students shouldn't go to a school just because their friends are going there.

Next, Career World consulted Indiana University admissions counselor Gene Stern for his insights into the application process.

What do college admissions counselors look for in prospective students, and what criteria do you use to evaluate applications?

Gene Stern: Admissions staff members look at whether or not the student has or had a strong senior schedule with four solid subjects and if he or she has good grades. If the student doesn't have good grades, then admissions looks at the student's class rank, which should be in the top third of the class. Last, we review SAT or ACT test scores. Then we look at an applicant's activities.

How much do grades and extracurricular activities count?

GS: Grades are more important in terms of class rank. The student should have taken a challenging schedule of classes. Extracurricular activities add to the grades and class rank. They provide a fuller view of the student and show the student's background and interests as a person. Also, extracurriculars offer insights into how a student will fit into the college community. A student who performs strongly in his or her area of interest, gets good grades, takes the required classes, and sends in a well-organized application should be admitted.

Like Indiana's Amanda Sell, who easily decided on a career in science and medicine, Brett Franz, a freshman at Arizona State University, was motivated in his freshman year in high school to plan ahead. Brett says, "I began by researching different careers and jobs that interested me, all of which had to do with writing. I took the time to think about what my interests were and discovered I wanted to work in journalism. So I joined the school paper and began writing short stories and poems for my school's literary magazine. It was just a natural decision for me that I would attend a school with a strong journalism program."

Wherever you are in the planning process, think ahead, visualize your future, and consult the experts--the men and women who can guide you to and through college.

Your Four-Year Plan

For Freshmen:

* Discuss career and academic plans with your counselor.

* Familiarize yourself with college and career resources.

* Get involved in extracurricular activities

* Plan how you might use your summer vacations to explore your career interests.

For Sophomores:

* Find ways to improve your grade-point average. (Possibilities: Bone up on your time-management skills; make sure you're as organized as possible.)

* Discuss financial considerations with you family.

* Start preparing for the ACT and SAT exams.

* Continue to research colleges.

* Take a career interest survey.

* Talk to friends in college.

For Juniors:

* Consider taking Advanced Placement courses.

* Make a list of colleges and universities you might want to attend.

* Make plans to visit your choices if possible.

* Consider applying for early admission.

* Check out scholarship opportunities.

* Sign up for the PSAT in the fall.

* Prepare for the ACT and SAT exams.

* Take ACT and/or SAT in spring

* Take a challenging class load and keep up your grades. (Junior year grades are the first ones admissions officials will look at.)

* Send for college applications.

For Seniors:

* Meet with your counselor to fine-tune your application game plan.

* Ask teachers, counselors, coaches, and employers for letters of recommendation.

* Complete applications to the schools you've chosen. (Pay attention to application deadlines.

* Complete the required scholarship applications.

* Do you need to take the ACT or SAT again? If so, make sure you have the schedule of dates and locations where the exams will be administered.

* Continue meeting with college representatives who visit your school.

* Attend any college fairs and financial aid nights that are offered.

* After you make your final choice from the schools that offered you admission, send in housing and admissions deposits as soon as possible to the school you have selected.

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