For Rising Seniors,
The College Application Process Pretty Much Starts Now.
Are You Ready?
We know you are busy. We know you have classes, and tests, and sports, and concerts and clubs and a social life to manage. We know being a junior in high school is not easy. We HOPE you can take some time over the long holiday this month to think. And as you just sorta do some thinking (away from your phone ideally) think about this in a stress-free way.
Your first college application is due in about 10 months.
. ... “Gee thanks!” You say.
Well, 10 months is a long time, but it does mean that the time to prep is now. Nothing major needs to be done right now. It’s not an emergency. But there are some very simple and practical things you can do to prepare for next Fall. And if you can get ahead of all this, you will be in great shape as next summer winds down and fall approaches.
So think about this. Have you been setting yourself up for an awesome future college application? Let’s look at some things you should be working on now.
- Self Discovery
Who are you and what are you about? This is a serious question and one that deserves some time to ponder. Knowing what your strengths and purpose are will help you navigate through the difficult task of answering “What do I want to be when I grow up?” and by extension will help you find your “right-fit” college. There are a lot of ways to find out who you are. Real Frequency clients have access to our unique process for figuring this out and writing it down (we call it the “Strengths and Purpose-Driven Narrative”). We put a lot of importance on this because if you can pick a method for learning who you are at this point in life, you will be WAY better off as you move further down the college admissions path.
- High School Activities
Are you getting involved? Now is the time to try out new things and continue with what you love. Join a club, volunteer, or try a new sport. You never know what you might find out about yourself. Be sure to focus on things that interest you, and where your talents will shine. When it comes to college admissions, schools want to see an activity list that tells a story about who you are. What do your activities, hobbies and the way you spend your time say about who you are? And remember, great experiences lead to great college essays!
- Internships
We know that summer seems far off in the time of snow and holiday lights, but now is the time to start thinking about your summer opportunities and if that landscape is bleak, start planting some seeds now. Summer jobs are a great way to learn about a field of interest before committing to it as a major. For example, do you think you want to be a doctor or a nurse? Then look for some hospital, doctor’s office, or public health department internships. Don’t want to be in medicine? That’s okay. Internships come in all shapes and sizes. And in addition to internships, professional experiences can be realized with job shadowing, volunteering, or finding a paid job. Ask your friends and family if they know of any opportunities in your area of interest. Don’t know where to start? Ask Real Frequency…we’d be happy to help.
- College Visits
Holiday breaks are coming up and it is a good time to start looking at colleges. Are there any colleges around a location to which you will be vacationing? What are your Spring Break plans? If they are not fully formulated yet, weave in some college visits to whatever you end up planning to do. Don’t have the ability to travel? That’s okay, there are some amazing ways to visit campuses virtually, or give us a call. We have alumni at a lot of colleges around the country and we’d be happy to make an introduction.
In summary, now is the time to start getting pretty serious about cutting a path toward college application season.
If you need any help, we are happy to have a chat. We are just a CLICK away.