In case you were wondering what to do over Spring Break, we’ve come up with a definitive list of the “Top Ten” things high school students (particularly juniors) should be doing to prepare for the coming college application and admission season.
So, in between soaking up the sun on the beach, hitting the slopes, or sleeping until 2 PM, pick up the iPad or Android and have a go at one (and more) of these:
10. Search for “Best” Fit Colleges. [And if you do nothing else in this endeavor, check out, “Relax! Where You Go To College Doesn’t Seal Your Fate.”]
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9. Build Your High School Resume. [It’s spring. No more snowmen. Please!]
8. Give Some Thought To Your College Essay. You don’t even have to commit to paper (though an outline sometimes helps). Just think about it!
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7. Search and Apply for Scholarships. Rich. Poor. Stuck in the middle. Doesn’t matter. Everyone could use (and everyone can get) free money for college. Be a believer in OPM - Other People’s Money. Secure financial freedom, not student debt!
6. Visit college campuses, virtually or in real time. Certainly, you can visit a college or three. [Keep in mind, though, that college students may also be on break, so take this into account when judging campus life.] Take an official campus tour. [Yes, it helps to demonstrate interest.] Can’t get out to campus (or of your pajamas)? No problem. Take a virtual tour. Check out YouniversityTV.com, CampusTours.com, and eCampustours.com. Short of sneaking a nap on a dorm room mattress, a virtual tour is the next best thing to being there.
5. Take The Common App for A Test Drive. Home to more than 650 college applications (and countless ways to drive high school students crazy), Common App won’t technically be ”live” for the high school class of 2019 until August 1, but as accounts will now "rollover" from year to year, the data you enter today will be saved and available when the next edition of Common App rolls out. So, create an account, have a look around, kick the tires, check out the essay prompts, see (and laugh at) the supplements (just do not respond to them, as supplements are subject to change), and ask yourself, “Why Michigan?”4. Check out College Cafe | Essential Links & Resources.
4. Sign Up To Take The ACT and the SAT this Spring. Don’t wait until the fall, when your plate will be full, and you’ll be pressed to meet college application deadlines. Get these tests out of the way before the summer. Which test? Take both the SAT and the ACT. Then retake the test you score higher on, relatively. After that, move on. It’s only a test! [Consider, too, the more than 800 colleges and universities that do not require submission of standardized test scores. www.fairtest.org]
3. Ignore those silly “Top 10” lists, rankings, and “must do’s.”
2. You deserve a break. Relax and PLAY! This is, after all, Spring Break. [You work hard (keep it up).]
And the Number 1 thing to do over Spring Break --
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