Kenneth
What are things I can do as a freshman in high school to prepare for college?
#freshman # college-preparation #high-school
3 answers
Muncha Leah Rodriguez
Muncha Leah’s Answer
While extracurriculares help you “look better” on college apps down the line, the whole point is to learn who YOU are. To explore what makes you happy, what keeps you inspired, and sometimes, what keeps you sane! Life is a balancing act- it’s not all work, it’s not all fun, but it’s what you make of it! Good luck & enjoy high school! Oh, and you don’t have to figure it all out now, you get to keep learning about yourself your whole life!
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Odina Ellis
Odina’s Answer
Hey Kenneth,
During freshman year there isn't a lot that counts academically when preparing for college. However, freshman year is a good time to get involved in school and various organizations. Check out the clubs you have interests in and start considering volunteering initiatives. Even playing a sport looks good.
I played volleyball, softball, joined the knitting club, did morning announcements, managed the basketball teams, and announced starting players! I even volunteered each year to help at freshman orientation.
While having good grades is important, colleges like to see extracurricular activities, especially if you are a leader. If you get involved now, becoming a leader for your activity will be a lot easier by your senior year. Even consider running for class elections, anyone could win freshman year. They also like to know that you can be a successful student while playing other roles.
Good luck!
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Meighan Middleton
Meighan’s Answer
The most important tip for freshmen year is to make a course plan with your Guidance Counselor or Academic Advisor to ensure the classes you are registering for and taking satisfy college entry requirements. To do this, make a short list of your dream schools, one to five schools max. Go to their Admissions web pages and look for their prerequisites. It is a misconception that your high school curriculum automatically qualifies you for entry into all colleges. While your base high school curriculum will satisfy most schools' prerequisites, like four years of high school English, some colleges prerequisite course requirements vary. For example, many colleges require four years of high school coursework in sciences. However, you do not want find out your dream school requires four years of sciences, including Chemistry, when applying, only to have taken Biology, Physics, Computer Science, and AP Biology. Maybe an Engineering program you are interested in requires you to have taken through Pre-Calculus in high school in order to graduate on time, but you have only taken through Algebra II. Planning ahead is crucial to making sure there are no surprises when you are applying to college.
Freshmen year is also the time to join extracurriculars such as clubs or sports teams that interest you. Clubs and sports are a great way to make friends, but also are important to your college application. Many students neglect clubs until their junior or senior year, and this shows in the applications college admissions officials receive. While it is better to start later than not at all, it can make you application appear a bit unbalanced and leave the admissions screeners wondering "What was this student involved in their freshmen and sophomore years?". Plus, finding clubs or teams you love early on in your high school career give you the chance to build camaraderie and rapport with your fellow students from the beginning, putting you in a better position to pursue leadership positions in your activities later on should you want to.
High School is an exciting time in your life and you should enjoy it! However, a little bit of preparation your Freshmen year can make your college application process a bit easier down the line and give you the peace of mind that your academic coursework meets admissions requirements for entry to your dream college or ideal degree program.