Making the Most of your High School Years

Entering high school can be overwhelming; you have far more options and opportunities than before, as well as greater expectations. The choices you make through high school will have an impact on your future education. It is important to choose wisely  both classes and extracurricular activities so that you can enjoy your high school years. 

Academics

Each year, try to increase your level of academic challenge in your coursework. However, while AP, IB, and honors level classes are impressive to universities, so are good grades. If taking every subject at the highest level will start to drop grades below a B, students should prioritize taking difficult classes in subjects they are either best at or most interested in. It may be better to have all As and a mix of AP and CP classes than Bs and Cs in all APs.  When choosing classes, try not to be influenced by your friends; choose courses that are best suited to you.

High school classes are challenging, and you should seek support before your grades tumble. Emailing teachers to set up time outside of class, looking into a school’s offerings such as lunch-time writing programs, utilizing free online study materials, or forming study groups with peers are all good ideas. Students can also hire tutors or take advantage of free local or virtual tutoring programs. 

Extracurriculars 

Extracurriculars allow individuals to find and pursue activities that interest them. Examples include sports, clubs, volunteering, artistic pursuits, internships, and other hobbies. Try out any extracurriculars that appeal to you, but remember depth of involvement is more important than quantity. 

Classes and extracurriculars can help you discover where your passions and strengths lie.  College admission officers look for depth of community involvement. Leadership roles are particularly appealing. 

Have fun and take time for yourself

High school is not just about getting high grades and building an impressive resume. It is also a great time to make friends and explore engaging activities. Check out any school-run events that interest you, such as school dances, sports games, or rallies. There is no right way to enjoy high school, but with the sheer number of opportunities and requirements, doing too much can be overwhelming. Build in time to take care of yourself. Self-care looks different for everyone, but ideas include getting adequate sleep, setting a weekly TV night, reading before bedtime, hanging out with friends, cooking or baking, finding time to exercise, and making time to be with those you love. 

Scheduling 

Balancing classes, friends, extracurriculars, and self-care time may seem daunting. For this reason, high school is a great time to learn how to create a schedule that works for you. Experimentation is key. While some students do homework best at night, others benefit from starting right after school. People need different amounts of time to complete assignments, so it is up to each student to discover when to start each project and how much time to devote to them. Finally, individuals crave different amounts of downtime and socialization. This delicate balance will change over time, but beginning to attune to this will have lifelong benefits. 

The high school years provide the opportunity to develop many important life skills as well as an academic education. Make the most of these years by embracing the experience!

What is a "Safety" School?

As the college admission process becomes more complex, students are beginning to wonder if they are assured acceptance to their so-called ‘safety’ schools.  This is a tricky question, and the short answer is: not really.  We also suggest that high school students apply to a range of colleges, including a few “targets, “reaches,” and “likelies.” Targets refer to schools where your test scores and GPA fall within the mid-range of the admit profile. Stretches, or reaches, are schools that have higher average test scores and GPAs than yours.  Likelies refer to schools where your scores fall above the 50th percentile of admitted students.  Some experts argue that these terms should be changed to the more accurate names of  “unlikely”, “possible”, and “likely”.  College admission is a complicated process, taking into account many factors and, as in life, there are simply no guarantees. 

Although SAT/ACT scores and your GPA can give you an idea of whether or not you might be admitted to a particular school, they are not the only factors considered during the admission process.  Test optional admission has further muddied the admission waters. Be sure to check all prospective colleges’ acceptance rates, as this is another indication of your chances.  Commonly considered a best practice, most universities now have holistic admission, which means that they emphasize the applicant’s complete academic record along with their life experiences, not just select pieces such as grades and test scores. Athletic accomplishments, legacy status, leadership roles, and involvement with music, art, and community service all potentially play important roles.  Keep in mind that it is better to excel and show leadership in a select few extracurricular activities than simply to participate in several. 

A common mistake made by prospective undergraduates is to assume they will be admitted to their likely school, and thus put less effort into its essays and applications.  They also may fail to show demonstrated interest, which is gaining popularity as a factor considered by admission departments.  These errors imply that a student does not really care about being accepted, and will likely not attend if they are.  The term “yield” refers to the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll, and is important to colleges because it affects their ranking and credit rating.  If the admission office doesn’t think you will actually attend, they will be less likely to accept you, even if your scores and GPA fall into the acceptable range.

There are a few exceptions to the “no more safety schools” concept.  Some colleges have open admissions, and if you have met their minimum requirements, and know you can afford to attend, you can be fairly confident about being accepted.  Community colleges also fall into this category.

In considering where to apply, it is important to submit applications only to schools you are truly excited about.  Make sure they are a good fit as far as academics, location, size, and financial needs.  If you can’t afford your safety school or if you would be unwilling to attend, it is not a safety at all!  Don’t rush your applications, and treat each school as if it were your first choice.

College Search for Students with Learning Differences

The transition from high school to college is daunting for most students, but the anxiety can be intensified for students with learning disabilities. Some wonder if they’ll be able to keep up and fit in.

Here are some tips to help you identify college campuses that could best fit, academically and socially, the needs of a student with learning differences. 

Understand your disability and its impact – write down the specific areas that present difficulties for you. Be able to identify the range of problems you might encounter at college and more importantly, be able to articulate the kinds of accommodations and services that would improve your situation – (extended testing times, note takers, reading machines, tutors).

Understand your strengths – what kinds of compensatory skills have you developed to accommodate your learning differences?

Begin researching colleges with types of programs that meet your needs. (The K& W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Seriously evaluate a variety of factors including: housing options (would having a single room dramatically reduce your stress level?), your advisor’s recommendations, disability services options, cost, the location and size of the school. Large schools may offer more support, activities and more majors, but they also may require you to be more proactive to meet your needs. That’s fine if you’re up to the challenge.

Visit campuses while classes are in session, if possible. Meet with admission and special support service coordinators. Ask to meet students utilizing the college’s learning differences or disabilities support services, perhaps over lunch, so you can have an informal discussion about the support accommodations available.

Prepare for an interview – this is where it is really important for the student, not the parent, to be able to clearly articulate their challenges and the types of support that would be most beneficial. 

Obtain letters of recommendation – letters from counselors and teachers should address your learning style(s), academic achievement including subjects you have mastered, obstacles you’ve overcome and a variety of personal characteristics such as your motivation, attitude, self-discipline, behavior and response to positive reinforcement. 

Summer Plans - Crafting an Internship

Summer’s nearly here, hooray! But now what? High school summers can be filled with so much, and sadly, so little. As students navigate the summer holidays throughout their high school years, it becomes important to consider two things: 1) how can my summer activity be more meaningful to me? and 2) how can my summer activity help me build a solid resume in preparation for a future college or job application?

Initially, students may think that between 9th and 10th grade, fun is the first order of business, and having summer fun is very important. The transition from middle school to high school can be tough, and during a global pandemic, it can be even harder to navigate. But summer could be so much more, and in this article, we will explore one option for students to consider – a carefully designed summer internship.

First, an internship can be of great benefit to you. The most basic benefit may be for financial rewards (although many internships are unpaid); for many students, it deepens and widens knowledge in areas of strong academic interest. For everyone, an internship can lead to rewarding self-awareness and a journey of self-discovery that will guide the student towards universities, majors or career paths that resonate in a deeply personal and targeted way. Getting a first-hand experience in the field you wish to study is pertinent and can demonstrate both dedication and knowledge to your application reader. An internship can show adaptability, targeted interest, and maturity. For you, it gives real insight into your chosen field and can help clarify the direction of your academic trajectory. 

Once you have decided to embark upon a summer internship and have chosen the direction – work, community service, international/local travel – then researching ideas is your next step. There are some excellent websites that have curated lists of options: Aralia, National Institutes of Health, and the National Society of High School Scholars are good resources. It is also important to be creative in your search for the type of experience that really matters to you. Start locally, right there in your high school’s guidance office. Many schools have college or career counsellors with lists of summer jobs and/or internship experiences. Teachers may have good personal contacts in their field so talk to them and ask about any summer options they may be aware of within your chosen field. Libraries, boys’ and girls’ clubs, and community centers may carry or post flyers about summer programs and in some locations, city councils will provide summer internship listings. If you have a parent or other relative in your field of interest, have a conversation with them to ask about summer opportunities. 

High school students need to take the time to really think about both who they are and what they want from their futures before considering their academic major in college. A summer internship can be part of that internal dialogue. This opportunity can give you your first look at a 9-5 job in an office, a 6-2 shift in the hospital, an 8-6 day in a lab or a long day spent outside, and remember, one summer does not have to look like another. Vary your summer activities.

As students start their final year of college, finding a job becomes an imperative. If you have already experienced a range of summer internships during both high school and college, you’ll have built up a significant number of contacts within an array of contexts and/or fields. Start small and slowly widen your search horizons. A summer in a small local start-up, with no salary, might become a paid summer internship at a national tech company, with employment possibilities looming in the future. College Vine has published a list of paid summer internships for high school students to consider. 

Finally, it is important to be practical in your search. Consider ease of commuting, cost of travel, family commitments, and summer sports. Once you start your internship, you must do everything to complete your assignments. At the end of the summer, don’t forget to request a recommendation from your immediate supervisor. Look for ways in which you can demonstrate commitment to your assigned tasks, share mature interactions with colleagues and co-workers, show responsibility and reliability vis-à-vis on time arrivals, and offer intelligent contributions at meetings. This will all appear in the letter of recommendation and will impress your colleges. So, start your search as early as possible. A summer internship can serve a very important role in your high school years and your future academic choices.

Making the Final College Choice

For some students, the final decision regarding which college to attend is the toughest part of the admission process. Here are some tips to help you sort out your options.

Stay as calm as possible.  While this is an important decision, allowing yourself to be overwhelmed with anxiety will not help you make a better choice. Give yourself some breathing room; you don’t have to decide today, or even tomorrow. You have until May 1 to make your choice.  Taking a break from worrying about choosing a college to do something fun and relaxing can make it easier to decide.  If you feel pressured by parents or friends to make a choice, ask them to respect that you’re still deciding.

Start with you, not the colleges. You may find it helpful to make a list of the top eight or ten characteristics you hope to find in your future college home. Try to focus on both quantifiable factors (cost, size, location, academics) as well as intangibles (social fit, reputation, campus “feel”).  Remember, this list is about what you think is important, not the factors your parents, neighbor, or best friend think matter most. Then rank each characteristic by its importance to you.  Don’t worry about which colleges match up best just yet.  The point of this exercise is to spend time listening to your head and heart.

Evaluate each college separately. Before you compare colleges, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each school individually based on the characteristics that matter most to you. If you feel you need more information, do some more research. Try to visit campus, review the school’s website again, and ask questions of admission officers, faculty, and current students.  Your gut instinct about each college is important to weigh as well.  

Narrow your options. After mulling over what matters most to you and weighing each college’s strengths and weaknesses, you’ll likely find that at least a few of your options don’t resonate as strongly with you. It’s OK to let those colleges go. 

Compare your remaining choices in pairs. Make a chart with the colleges’ names along the top and the qualities you seek along the side.  For each paired comparison, write the name of the college that seems to best match each characteristic you’re looking for.  Don’t forget to use both your head (logic) and heart (instinct) as you consider each pair of choices. When you’re done, add up which colleges received the most “votes” as you compared them to the others. Narrow your list further by eliminating any colleges that clearly don’t stand up to the other options.

There are no perfect college choices; there are only different ones. Deciding where to attend college is the last step in the long and tiring college application journey. It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that you must be absolutely 100% certain that you’ve chosen the perfect college to guarantee your future happiness and success.  In truth, there is no perfect college, nor are there any guarantees of your success.  In the end, your college experience will be defined more by the attitude with which you approach it than by the actual college you attend.  

3 Types of Campus Visits

With summer fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about which colleges to visit. An in-person visit really is the best way of assessing your interest in a particular institution. Nothing is better than seeing the students and campus facilities first-hand. There is so much to be learned from such a visit. You will want to get a sense of how your life could change when you move on-campus. Let’s take a look at three different types of visits and how they differ.

Looking around: This visit is geared towards early information gathering. It is frequently included in a family vacation to the area. Parents may encourage their children to visit their alma mater as well as any colleges in the area when visiting family or friends. These trips may not include a personalized visit with scheduled campus tours, information sessions or Open Days. It should, however, include a walk around campus, a meal in a dining hall, a visit to the library and a chat with students you see out and about. Always drop into the Admissions Office to pick up materials and find out who your local representative is. This general visit will also help you craft a list of questions that can be refined over the coming months and years. Your goal in these early forays should be to figure out which aspects of the university campus experience really matter. Examine the size of the student body, clubs and organizations of specific interest, and scope of academic options. Above all, take good notes.

Serious shopping: As you progress through high school, you will begin to acquire a deeper understanding of the importance of standardized testing, your academic interests, and a sense of what kind of campus would suit you best. Those early campus visits will come in handy when zeroing in on specifics. By late junior year, you’ll have attended a few college fairs, spoken to your college counselor, and created a college list with your top choices. Do a lot of online research the summer before senior year and, in consultation with your parents, make reservations for student-led campus tours and admission presentations. Make an appointment to meet with a financial aid counselor, the writing center, disability services and academic support. Check out ease of access to medical care, mental health counseling, faith communities, and on- and off-campus transportation. Consider safety at night, and ensure that the dining halls cater to your individual dietary needs. If possible, attend a class within your likely first choice of major. These visits should refine the list of colleges to which you will apply, so take them seriously.

Ready to buy: Being ‘ready to buy’ typically means that an offer of admission is on the table, and you need to make your final decision. It may also mean you need to clarify your top choices, and thus are ready when offers arrive. It is true that many students apply to several colleges without ever setting foot on campus but with a tangible offer, a targeted visit then becomes an absolute must. There are always Admitted Student Visit Days, typically in April before the National College Decision Day of May 1. Colleges will pull out all the stops for these visits that are 100% geared towards the needs and interests of admitted students and their families. The student-focused program will include classroom visits and chats with faculty. Parents will often have their own version of the events, most often with a presentation by the Financial Aid Officers.  All this should help you make a final decision.

The Importance of College Fit and Match

One student loves the non-competitive academic atmosphere at Haverford College that made learning much more enjoyable.  Another student praises the intense competition at UC San Diego, which motivates her to do her best work.  

Two great schools. But not great for every student. Both of these students had done their homework, made good matches and are thriving.  

When a student is in an environment where they feel good about themselves, they’re more likely to be successful academically and socially. It seems so obvious. But in this time of high anxiety about college admission, students and parents often pursue the most popular colleges and lose sight of whether those schools are the best matches for them.

Just as in romantic relationships, there’s more than one potential match out there if you remain open to possibilities. There’s no perfect person or college. But there are some very good schools (and people) that offer opportunities for growth and satisfaction.  

Self-assessment is crucial to making a good match.  If you don’t know what you’re looking for, chances are you won’t find it. While grades and possibly test scores are major factors in college admission, it’s important to use your heart as well as your head to find the right school. This means thinking about what kind of college experience you want. 

A student who is more motivated by intellectual curiosity than grades might like Reed College, where students have to ask if they want to know their grades.  Or Evergreen State College, where students    receive narrative evaluations instead of grades. 

Someone who likes to get totally immersed in a subject might like Colorado College or Cornell College (in Iowa), which operate on a block plan, where students take a single subject for three and a half weeks.

For a student who does well when she likes her teacher, but loses motivation if the teacher doesn’t inspire her, it might be important to find a college with small classes, where professors and students form close relationships.

There are many non-academic factors that contribute to a student’s happiness in college. A green, lush environment can be soothing and lower stress levels.  But some students thrive on the excitement of an urban environment. Schools like George Washington University, Boston University and NYU offer all the cultural resources of great cities, as well as opportunities for internships at government agencies, theater companies and corporations. The downside is that all this involvement in the city means there’s less sense of community on campus.

Social life is a major part of the college experience, and it’s important to find a school where there are people who share some interests and values.  A student who likes being around artsy people might be drawn to Bard College. A basketball fanatic might head for Duke University, where students camp out for days to get tickets for games.  

These are just some of the factors that go into making a good college match. It takes a little more time and effort, but a student who clarifies their educational goals, values and interests is more likely to find a school that will allow them to grow and realize their potential, as well as enjoy their college years. 

Considering College's Return on Investment

There are so many moving parts to a student’s search for the ‘right’ college – location, academic options, student services, clubs and organizations, career preparations – but none of them matters if a family is unable to afford that wonderful education. Attending college is a privilege and one that costs a great deal of money. For the most part, when we enter into a costly venture such as purchasing a new car, a house, or stock investments, the pros and cons of that purchase must be weighed heavily against the anticipated return on our investment, or ROI. How will the costs of that purchase compare to the benefits of making that purchase? In other words, how will the net cost measure up against both potential debt and potential earnings? 

Many young people graduate with thousands of dollars of debt and enter into an employment placement that typically provides an annual salary far below that level of debt. This puts new graduates into a very dangerous financial situation and impacts their ability to start their career and purchase a car. Students pursuing graduate degrees may often find themselves in debt for many years.

In order to come up with a realistic and honest assessment of the costs for each college under consideration, it is important to first calculate the true total cost of attendance – tuition, room, board, fees, transportation, entertainment and general living expenses such as cell phone bills and travelling home for the holidays. Expect that tuition will rise, as well as fees and living costs. Once you have a complete picture of the total cost, then it’s time to review the potential outcomes. Research career opportunities and the job placement support your college offers; review annual salaries in your chosen field; analyze the industry overall and be aware of any growth or cutbacks in your area of likely employment. If you have to move to another part of the country, what costs of living are associated with that location – compare across all your possible geographic locations. Finally, analyze overall growth of salaries in your field, alongside cost-of-living adjustments and inflation. Be honest with your analysis: there is no point in entering into debt for an industry that is on the decline. Consider what happened to video stores, printing, photo finishing and telephone apparatus manufacturing as a guide to declining industry. 

Knowing how much aid you will receive from a college is a critical piece of information in calculating return on investment. Submit your FAFSA as early as possible, and read about options for institutional aid – are there separate scholarship applications to complete? Know about the CSS Profile – does your college require this in order to be considered for institutional aid? Review your financial aid package very carefully. Understanding exactly the amount of financial assistance you may receive will be a big part of your calculations. As you educate yourself on your future employment possibilities, be guided by the rule that says: never borrow more than your anticipated first year’s salary. If you find yourself outside of those parameters, look into ways of reducing your costs. Would accelerating your studies save you more money? Many high school students are able to gain college credit by successfully passing AP and CLEP exams, or by taking classes at a community college while still in high school. This will reduce the time you have to spend in college to obtain your degree. Can you get a job during your college years? Would an in-state college meet your needs and keep you within your budget? Will the “name” college yield a post-graduate income higher than a similar degree from a less prestigious institution? For some people, money does not necessarily represent success, and immediate financial success may not mean as much as long-term satisfaction for graduates such as entrepreneurs and academics. 

Speak with your Journey Ahead college counselor about the potential cost of the universities you are applying to, and make sure there are some low-cost options on your list in case the aid offers are not significant enough.

At the end of the day, the benefits of a college degree far outweigh the burden of taking on some debt. The degree represents a sound investment in your professional future and financial well-being. College graduates earn over 80% more over a lifetime than a high school graduate, and employees without degrees may find themselves unable to advance in their fields and earn more money. So, is college worth it? Absolutely, 100% yes! Just do your research and learn as much as you can about your investment.