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preparing for college
i'm going to be a junior. i get good grades, am 2nd in my class and am very involved in extra-carriculars. i want to go to an ivy-league school, namely Columbia U. how can i prepare now? scholarship-wise, money-wise, transition-wise, acedemically (tests and whatnot), pretty much everything. i don't want to be shocked when i get there. i don't want to drown in ivy league madness because my high school didn't prepare me so well. so how do i prepare??
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Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
You sound like you're at the same place as I was when I was your age. I was accepted into my top choice college, so I'm confident in the advice that I'm going to shell out.
Scholarships: Check out Fastweb ([Link](Mouse over link to see full location)). Once you join the website, you have access to hundreds of thousands of scholarships that are available to you. Apply to as many as you can, because even if the award is only $100, that's an entire textbook that you can purchase.
Money: Like I said, scholarships are great. Also when you're applying to schools, see if they offer any scholarships related to your fields of interests (ie. Engineering, Theatre, etc.).
Transition: If possible, try some over-nighters. I lived overseas so was unable to schedule any, but they would definitely give you a feel for the environment. There's a book I read during the summer after senior year, called "1001 Things every College Student Needs to know" by Harry H. Harrison Jr. It gives you some information that can be useful.
Academics: I took the SAT in June of my junior year, and then took it for a second time in October of senior year. I never took any SATII tests or the ACT, but I know some schools really recommend or even require those. So definitely check. Collegeboard.com has a college search which includes all that information.
Other: Even though you say you're very involved, make sure you have a focus. Schools like to see students who have a specific passion. For example, I played 3 sports, was involved in the NHS and Key Club, etc. But I made sure I emphasized my passion for traveling. This shows the school that you're not just some robotic creature who wants to attend a tier-1 school, but that you're a person who is committed and passionate, and will be a positive member of their community.
I hope this gives you a pretty good idea of the preparation. If you have any other questions feel free to ask me. I'm the oldest child of my family so I didn't really have someone to guide me along -- so I have a pretty good idea as to how daunting this process can be.
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Scholarship-wise, apply for any and all scholarships you find. Do a search online, and there are a lot of scholarships to be given out. Ask previous graduates of your high school what scholarships they earned that you might be able to apply for.
Money-wise, get a job. That will help ease the cost a little, but scholarships will help, too. You'll more-than-likely have to take out a loan, and usually to do that, you need to have some type of credit established. Look into getting a credit card [for emergencies only], and buy ONE item and then immediately pay the bill once you get it in the mail. That will establish your credit.
Transition-wise, I'm not really sure. I'm still in high school myself, so I'm sorry, but I can't help you out that way. Maybe talk to your counselor about that?
Academically, look into what tests you have to take in order to apply. Usually that means the SAT. See how often you can take it, and how you can improve your score each time you take it. There are a lot of books out there you can buy and lots of websites that can help you get a high score.
--Jack
(16/m)
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