College Preparation Tips
The following information is from a high school counselor in Georgia. While some issues vary from state to state, the major requirements do remain the same for most high school students.
Do you have a high schooler in your house? Have you discussed college with him/her? It's important to know just what colleges look for when it comes to scholarships and/or admission requirements. While conditions may vary from state to state, my opinion is there are more similarities than differences. Below are 5 'sure things' that college admissions offices give serious weight when considering a student for college admission.
1) Grade Point Average.
2) Rigor of the high school courses. Colleges like Advanced Placement (AP) and International Bacculaureate (IB) classes. The question parents ask is"is it better to be in an AP class and make a B or C or be in college prep class and make an A. The University of GA will say be in AP and make an A. Parents also worry about students not qualifying for HOPE Scholarship (GA Lottery funded)) if they are in AP classes. However, AP and IB classes are the best preparation for college. Many students lose the HOPE scholarship after the first year of college because they do not maintain their 3.0 in college.
3) SAT or ACT Scores. Many students wait until their senior year to take the test. Students with good scores generally take it 3 or 4 times and do a lot of preparation. It's important to note that some community colleges do not require SAT/ACT scores for admissions. It's a good idea for students with good GPA to take tests because many scholarship applications require a score.
4) Recommendations from teachers.
5) Extracurricular and community service. I don't think this information is used so much in the admission decision. However, in scholarship applications its a big deal. It is especially useful to show leadership (being an officer) and to be in competition with students from other schools (quiz bowl, athletics, DECA competition). If they do community service work, they should keep a record so they will be able to say how many hours of service was performed. While community service is important, if a student with a 3.5 and one with a 2.8 and the community service hours are the same, the one with the 3.5 will get the scholarship.
Facts to Consider: Community colleges are much more affordable choices for the first 2 years. In-state 4 year colleges are cheaper than 4 year out of state colleges. I hope these tips help you guide your teen towards the right expectations in their high school years.
If you have any additional advice to add, please comment.
Cal over at Study Hacks wrote a fascinating post about how the quality of certain extra-curriculars matter way more than the amount.
His example was an above average student who worked at some internship that provided great skill-training in a specific field. She ended up getting an amazing scholarship/grant/etc. that was usually for outstanding students based solely on her unique internship experience and the fact that she too was an interesting person.
Do interesting things in high school, follow new interests, and really throw yourself in to 1-2 of them. A lot of students spend 95% of their time concentrated on a sport which is great for the .00001% of people who play professional sports, but try to spread yourself into other areas of school/life as well.
Good info!
Austin @ Foreigner’s Finances
I’ve never heard of the internship component. Interesting. Yeah…I read where only 1 in 10000 high school athletes actually end up getting paid to play. Parents play a key role in keeping high academic standards for their children.