It is that time of year again. The time of year where seniors are starting to get serious about the college selection process, juniors are realizing that they are now over half-way done with high school, sophomores are just happy they aren't freshmen anymore, and freshmen....well, they are just thankful to be in high school.
Regardless of your classification, it is never too early to begin preparing for college.
Knowing where to start is the hard part. There are thousands of college choices, and nearly as many career options. Where does one begin?
1) PRAY -- This may not be the first thought that came to your mind, but allow God to direct this process. I guarantee you that He will provide direction if you truly seek His will. Make sure you do your part; you need to prepare, make plans, and do some research. God is amazing, but I am guessing He will not send you a personal email and do all the work for you.
2) START RESEARCHING - If you are unsure what you want to do after high school, don't worry, there are numerous resources to help you out. They range from assisting you in determining what type of college or university best fits you, to helping you decide what career you might enjoy, to just giving general college advice.
Here are some good places to check out:
bigfuture by The College Board - Information on selecting a career and college planning
Peterson's - How to choose a college, test prep, and scholarship information
College Results Online - Research colleges regarding graduation rates, diversity rates, etc.
College Prowler - Search by majors to locate which degrees colleges offer.
College Major Quiz - Not as thorough as some, but it may give a few good ideas.
This is a super short list compared to all the resources available on line. Let Google be your friend and start searching!
3) VISIT - Do NOT choose a college without visiting first - at least once. Any college can make themselves look good in literature and online, but what you really want to discover is the atmosphere of the campus.
There are many more steps to the college process, and much more you need to know, but this is a good place to start. Have fun!
Don't forget - check out the ECS Guidance glog for much more information!
