50 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MAY | JUNE 2017 It’s important to note that the college admissions process begins long before one’s senior year of high school with a great deal of preparation, test taking, and research. To help narrow down the search, students and their parents should investigate the colleges and universities that offer the degree in which the student is interested, the grade point average expectation, cost of attendance, admission fees, housing options (if applicable), and any specific coursework or test results that each college requires. According to the Plano Senior High School website students should specifically inquire about the following: • Which classes and how many class credits are required? • Which state and national exams are required? This includes SAT & Subject Tests, ACT, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness End-of-course assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S History. (STARR EOC), and Texas State Initiative (TSI). • Are entrance essays required? • Does the college or university ask for teacher recommendations? • What emphasis is put on school involvement and clubs? • How important is volunteer involvement? • What are the financial requirements and is financial aid available? • What are the important application dates and deadlines? The website also provides a college planning timeline for juniors and seniors with detailed instructions specific to the high school’s protocol. Professionals and university administrators agree the best way to manage what can be an unruly task is to take a deep breath and start planning early. Sherry Nowak, an Indiana based professional college planning counselor, likes to see students as soon as eighth grade. She strongly encourages incoming high school freshman to make an appointment with their school counselor so they can plan their curriculum. That way, prerequisite courses can be scheduled to prepare for subsequent, more difficult classes. “The earlier, the better,” Nowak advises. “Students should have a plan and start early, so there are no opportunities missed along the way.” Alyssa (the university does not allow her to release her last name), an Admissions Representative, Student Ambassador, and junior at the University of Texas, Austin (UT) urges high school students to take challenging classes like honors or APs and get involved in extracurricular activities. “It’s better to choose one or a few activities and be very involved than to spread yourself too thin and not gain leadership experience,” Alyssa advises. As far as scholarship applications go, Alyssa says all colleges and universities differ. “UT automatically considers students for academic and athletic scholarships once they apply senior year.” Private scholarships, however, may have earlier application deadlines. THE ROAD TO COLLEGE Professionals and university administrators agree the best way to manage what can be an unruly task is to take a deep breath and start planning early.