The earlier, the better
The earlier, the better
During their high school senior year, young people find themselves occupied with many milestone events like homecoming, formal, prom, grad nite — and, of course, graduation.
So where does college planning fit into a senior’s busy schedule?
Getting started
To even begin college planning — though actual preparations through class choices, grades, extracurricular activities, etc. must take place well before senior year — the first step to take is to be aware of all deadlines, according to education experts.
“The first thing I would recommend is for students to get an application, and skim through it to see what documents are needed in order for the student to have them ready,” said Juan Leyva, a counselor at Shafter High School.
Seniors can already start the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) application process by inputting information on their online application all this month, he said. Applications must be completed and submitted by Nov. 30.
“Apply early, don’t overlook any deadlines and keep track of when they are due,” said Leyva, who has seen many students wait until the last minute and frantically try to gather information.
Students applying for CSU admission must take the ACT or SAT before December, he said.
UC applicants need the ACT — plus the writing, SAT and the SAT 2 tests, which are also required. If the student hasn’t taken these tests yet, they are allowed to include the dates they plan to take them on an admissions application, according to Leyva.
Before even getting to the college application process, however, students who want to attend a CSU or UC must fulfill or have fulfilled the A-G requirements.
If for some reason a student has not completed these requirements, don’t give up on college completely, Leyva said.
“There is still hope for students to get into college, even if they have not fulfilled all requirements,” he said, explaining that there are several chances to make up these courses by either going to summer school or adult school by earning a C or better.
Colleges also often have programs that can help students obtain these credits, according to Leyva.
And remember, not all higher education institutions have A-G requirements — community (or junior) colleges are another worthy option where those stipulations are not necessary.
“The basic criteria is to be 18 and older and have a high school diploma to attend a community college,” Leyva said.
Money matters
Once the college application process is navigated, there is still a looming task to tackle: how to pay for it.
Lack of money can be a huge obstacle to higher education as it was for Liliana Valdez, a sophomore psychology student at Cal State University, Bakersfield.
Valdez held a part-time job, but that wasn’t enough to help her pay for her education, so she turned to scholarships. Fortunately, this helped Valdez finance her first year in college.
She encourages other college-bound students to do this as well.
“Fill out as many scholarships (as you can) — they can be a great help,” Valdez said.
Students can obtain scholarship information and applications through their school’s career service technician or counselor. Valdez also suggests that students have letters of recommendation ready to go as most scholarships require them.
Money for college can also be obtained based on the student’s financial need and eligibility through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. The next FAFSA deadline is March 2, 2009.
Hang in there
Although the process of applying to college — and financing it once you are admitted — can be stressful, officials continue to advise young people to stick with it.
“Once you start the whole application process, it is not as overwhelming because you’ll have enough time to ask questions, to get everything done on time,” said Leyva.
His final words of advice: “Don’t procrastinate!”
Comments