Preparing for College By: Jason Grandlienard

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Preparing for CollegeBy Jason Grandlienard
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Why Continue Your Education?

• More Career Choices Available
• Personal Development
• Establish Connections
• Greater Potential for a Higher Annual Salary
• Greater Potential for Higher Life-Time Earnings

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8 Factors to Consider When Choosing a College or
University

• Academic Reputation
• Athletics/Intramurals
• Campus Community
• Cost
• Distance From Home
• Facilities/Campus
• Major/Faculty
• Spiritual Atmosphere

Solms, 2006
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Academic Reputation

• Is the national ranking and prestige of your
  school important to you?
• What are your plans beyond college?
• What are the academic standards for your
  school(s) of choice? Can you meet them?
• How have you been preparing yourself academically
  for post-secondary education?

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Athletics/Intramurals

• What intercollegiate sports are offered at the
  school?
• What division in sports does the school compete?
• If you are interested in playing on a sports
  team, what level of competition is appropriate?
• What intramural sports does the school offer?

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Campus Community

• What do you want in a campus community?
• Are there any specific organizations or clubs
  that you want at your future school?
• Are there any particular groups of people that
  you are looking for at a school?
• Is gender ratio or ethnicity a factor in your
  decision process?
• What is your impression of the school community
  upon visiting?

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Cost

• How much do you expect to pay for an education?
• Do you plan to attend a public or private
  university?
• How are you planning to pay school bills? What
  options do you have available?
• Is it feasible to attend the schools that you are
  considering?

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Average Costs of Public Private Colleges
Universities in the U.S.
U.S. Department of Education. (2003).
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Average Cost of Public Private Colleges in the
Midwest
U.S. Department of Education. (2003).
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Distance From Home

• Are you planning on commuting or living on
  campus?
• If commuting, how far away is the school?
• Choosing to Live on Campus
• How often do you expect to go home?
• What is your means of transportation for getting
  home? If you have a vehicle, how reliable is it?
• How important is it that you can go home for
  breaks or holidays?

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Facilities/Campus

• Do you prefer a campus with new facilities or a
  campus with a more traditional style?
• Do you want to attend a school located in or near
  a city or do you prefer a rural location?
• What size of school do you plan to attend?
• Are there any specific facilities that you are
  looking for an a campus?

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Major/Faculty

• What field of study are you considering?
• What schools offer your potential major? What is
  the quality of their program?
• What size of classroom do you prefer?
• How would you describe the faculty at the schools
  which you are considering?

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College Majors
http//www.a2zcolleges.com/Majors/index.htm
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College Majors (Cont.)
http//www.a2zcolleges.com/Majors/index.htm
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College Majors (Cont.)
http//www.a2zcolleges.com/Majors/index.htm
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Spiritual Atmosphere

• Is spiritual atmosphere a factor in choosing a
  school?
• How conservative do you want your future school?
• Is a particular denominational affiliation
  important to you?
• How does the school match your personal belief
  system and worldview?
• How integrated is faith into campus programming?

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What Can I Do Now?Practical Steps in Preparing
for College

• Freshmen Year
• Expect Success! Establish a good GPA early. The
  later you decide to commit to hard work, the more
  difficult it will be to raise your GPA.
• Get on the College Prep Track if Possible
• Continue talking about college

Solms, 2006
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Practical Steps in Preparing for College

• Sophomore Year
• Expect Success! Continue maintaining a positive
  GPA
• Look for factors that are interfering with their
  success
• Extra-curricular Activities
• A part-time job
• Other Activities
• Attitudes
• Friends
• Begin Talking about what factors are most
  important in the college selection process
• Take the SAT/ACT for the first time

Solms, 2006
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Practical Steps in Preparing for College

• Junior Year
• Begin Making College Visits
• Take the SAT/ACT at least one time
• At the end of the Year Choose 3-4 schools to
  seriously pursue
• Begin Investigating what you will need to do to
  complete applications
• Set your calendar to allow for visits to each of
  the schools during senior year

Solms, 2006
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Practical Steps in Preparing for College

• Senior Year
• Make Final Visits in the Fall
• Student should spend the night on Campus
• Talk to Faculty
• Visit a Class
• Get to Know Students
• Ask Tough QuestionsGet to Know Things Not
  Advertised
• Complete the Application Process
• Take the SAT/ACT one final time in the Fall
• Complete Financial Aid Process in the Spring
• Make follow-up visits as needed in the Spring
• Find out when you might need to make a Deposit
• Make Final Decision by May 1

Solms, 2006
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Helpful Websites

• Learning about Colleges and Universities
• http//www.a2zcolleges.com/
• http//www.collegebound.net
• http//www.petersons.com
• http//www.universityandcollegesearch.net
• Search for Colleges by Major
• http//petersons.com/college
• Applying for Colleges Universities
• https//www.thickenvelope.com
• Learning about Comparing Colleges
  Universities
• http//www.campusdirt.com
• Finding Scholarships
• www.monstercampus.com

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References

• D. Solms, MS, personal communication, November 7,
  2006.
• Retrieved November 14, 2006 from
• http//www.a2zcolleges.com/Majors/index.htm
• U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). Current Population
  Surveys.
• U.S. Department of Education. (2003). National
  Center for Education Statistics, Integrated
  Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
  Retrieved on November 13, 2006, from
  http//www.ed.gov/students/prep/college/thinkcolle
  ge/early/parents/edlite-college-costs.htmlin