College Planning

So, you have decided you want to go to college. That's great! Now the real work begins: finding the best fit school for you. Picking the right college is a big decision! Luckily, there are a ton of resources to help you research, create a list, narrow your list, and find that perfect fit! 

With more than 4,500 colleges and universities nationwide, it is critical to take these steps one at a time and keep focused on finding the best fit school for YOU! 

Step 1 - Identify what you are looking for in a school

An absolute must for figuring out what school will be a good fit is first identifying what you are looking for and what your needs and wants entail. An easy way to do this is by working through this How Do I Identify What I Want In A College list of questions and answering what your preference is for each one.

Step 2 - Create your long list of colleges 

Once you know what you are looking for, you can start to look! The most efficient way to actually create your initial list of schools is by using tools that will filter out schools using the criteria you developed in step 1.

Go-to matching platforms include:

• Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS) 
  • Click "Log in with Clever", search Simley, then use your school credentials (same as campus and Schoology) to log in 
• College Navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/) 
• College Express (https://www.collegexpress.com/) 
• Niche (https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/)
• Big Future (https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/)

Step 3 - Narrow your list of schools

Now that you have a long list of schools, it is time to dig deeper and do some research. Many of the sites listed above will be helpful tools to learn more about schools on your list.

You can also go directly to the college's website to have a closer look at what they have to offer or attend a college representative session at Simley when they visit (typically in first semester). The very best way to figure out if a school will be a good fit for you is to go on a campus visit. Step foot on campus, meet with admissions, take a tour, hear from actual students, eat a meal, attend a class, and see if you can really envision yourself attending as a student. See the College Visits tab for more support! 

Upcoming College Representative Visits

College representatives will visit Simley to tell students about what their school has to offer. Stop by the Student Center during a scheduled visit or use the link to sign up for a visit:

Sign Up for a Representative Visit 

Additionally, there are variety of college fairs that take place each year. Students are highly encouraged to attend any and all of these fairs to chat with representatives, gather information, and explore their post-secondary options. 

Not sure what to ask a college representative? Here is a list of questions to ask a college representative.

College Campus Visits

Colleges and universities love to have prospective students on campus! Stepping foot on campus is one of the best ways to know if a college is good fit for you. It can also help determine what you are looking for in a college and what you like and dislike. 

Schedule a Campus Visit

College websites are a great place to start to find out about campus visits. Most colleges have a "visit us" or "prospective students" tab. Here you will find their visit schedule and any special events coming up.

Many schools around the region hold special college open houses and visit days during MEA break and again in the spring. They also all hold visits at various times during the week. Some schools require you to sign up in advance and others just allow you to show up.

What to Expect

Typically, a campus visit will include a general information session covering admission requirements, program highlights, financial aid and scholarships, campus life, and a tour of campus. More extensive visits might include meeting with a professor, sitting in on a class, eating a meal in the cafeteria, attending a sporting event, or staying the night in the dorms. 

ACT has created an excellent reference guide with extensive information about campus visits, including how important they are, and a great list of things to do and questions to ask.

Guide to Campus Visits

Anatomy of a College Application

Application

Most applications will open between August 1 and September 1 and can be found directly on the college’s website. The earliest deadlines belong to schools with early admission plans and are typically between October 31 and November 15. Even for colleges that have rolling admissions (continue to accept applications as long as there is room in their programs), plan to have all pieces of the application completed by the end of first quarter so that you can move onto other things and you’ll also receive your decisions back earlier.

Pro-tip: Keep track of your username and passwords and do so in one place! Seems like a no-brainer but it’s an easy step to bypass and you’ll likely forget these things when you need to return to finish your application or check its status and will be frustrated when you have to fumble around with resetting them! 

Transcript

All colleges and universities will need to see the record of your coursework taken through high school. Some schools will have you self-report your transcript so you don’t need to send a transcript at all. Other schools will accept an unofficial transcript you can send on your own. For schools that require an official transcript be sent, you will request that it be sent through a secure, online platform called Parchment, www.parchment.com. There is a small fee attached to sending each transcript.

Note: If you have taken PSEO courses, you will also need to request your college transcript be sent directly from the college to wherever you are applying.

For help navigating Parchment, use the Parchment Handout.

Application Fees

The majority of colleges also charge some kind of application fee. These range from $20 to $100 an application. Keep in mind, October is College Knowledge Month in Minnesota and all Minnesota state schools, excluding the University of Minnesota, waive their application fee at some point in the month. Also, if you qualify for Educational Benefits, you are eligible to receive application fee waivers. Some applications will allow you to self-report this status and waive the fee automatically. If you have schools that are charging and you need a fee waiver, please see your counselor.

Test Scores

Although most colleges have gone test-optional, some still require that a test score is submitted. For test-optional schools, if you choose to submit a score, many will accept it self-reported and verify it if you choose to go to that school. Others will require that it is an official score, sent directly from the testing company. If you are required to send an official score report, you will log in, request your score report, and pay for it at www.actstudent.org. If you have questions or don’t have your score report from February (needed to make your ACT student account), see your counselor.

Letters of Recommendation

Most applications do not require letters of recommendation. For more selective schools or for schools that complete a more holistic application review, a letter or two may be required, never more than that. So, be considerate of your teacher’s time and only ask for letters after you know you need them for your application. You should ask them a minimum of two weeks in advance and make sure they know where the letter needs to go (Common App, mailed, etc.). 

So, who should you ask? Classroom teachers who you have had while in high school are usually a safe bet. It should be someone who knows you and can speak to your potential and ability within the classroom, but also someone you have a good overall relationship with.

If you need a helpful template to complete to give to your recommenders, check out the letter of recommendation template linked here.

Essays

Similar to letters of recommendation, many  applications do not require that you submit an essay or personal statement. Schools that are more selective or that have a more holistic admission process tend to be more likely to require this portion in their application. If you are required to write an essay for your application, keep in mind that it is an opportunity to showcase yourself. This is going to help the admission staff reading your application understand who you are as a person, beyond numbers and paper; it’s your time to shine! An excellent resource when it comes to college essay help is The College Essay Guy, Ethan Sawyer. Check out his site and a ton of great resources at www.collegeessayguy.com.

If you are a student looking to participate in athletics at the college level, you may have additional requirements to complete to get there.

To be eligible to play sports at an NCAA Division I or Division school, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at www.eligibilitycenter.org. You can register as early as your sophomore year. 

For more information, check out the NCAA Eligibility Center at the link listed above or NCAA Eligibility Trifold.