Summary
College-bound students in their junior and senior years face an array of tasks and obligations from taking entrance exams and writing application essays to choosing the right college for their goals and figuring out how to pay for it. This guide offers practical advice, information, and resources for mastering these challenges and setting the stage for college success.
In the last two years of high school, students must maintain their grades and bring their extracurricular activities into focus. Colleges look for well-rounded students who will contribute to academic and campus life. At the same time, they often hold to rigorous academic standards and performance on entrance exams, such as the ACT and the SAT.
This guide can help students prepare for all aspects of the college and financial aid application process. The advice, information, and resources provided here will give students the edge in planning and achieving their goals for higher education.
Chapters include:
- College Planning Timeline: What to Do During Your Junior and Senior Years
- How to Prepare for College Entrance Exams
- How to Complete and Submit Your College Application
- How to Write an Effective College Admissions Essay
- 15 Tips to Ace a Campus Visit
- How to Prepare for College Life
- College Financial Planning Timeline for High School Juniors and Seniors
- College Costs Beyond Tuition—and How to Reduce Them
About the Author(s)
Andrew Morkes is a freelance writer and editor in Chicago, Illinois, who has been writing about college- and career-related topics for more than 25 years. He is the founder of College & Career Press, the editorial director of the CAM Report and College Spotlight, and the author of The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends blog. Andrew has written and edited many books for Ferguson’s including the Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, and Career Skills Library series. He is also the author of They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors and Programs, which was selected as "A Perfect Ten" by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates, and Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs. Andrew is a member of the parent advisory board at his son’s school. His poetry has appeared in Cadence, Wisconsin Review, Poetry Motel, Strong Coffee, and Mid-America Review.