Is it a hard transition from high school to college?

Hi there. I have one son who graduated college and is working, and one who is still in college. I also work with young people to help them figure out what they want to do. College is more demanding and rigorous than high school. On the other hand, you will have more time to study because your take fewer courses at one time, and spend less time in the classroom. In HS, working on improving your study habits and managing your time (without waiting for your parents to check on you) will help you prepare.

Now, with a freer schedule in college, comes more temptations to good off, drink to excess too often, take drugs or join too many fun clubs. This can develop in to a real problem for many students, and can lead to a drop in GPA, failed courses and some even drop out because they aren't ready for the responsibility. But in terms of whether you can DO the work in college, there is a wide range of colleges and some are less rigorous than others. The way to know which to choose to apply to, is by looking at the minimum scores you need on GPA, SAT and ACT. If a college accepts you, you WILL BE ABLE TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE. Good luck!

<span style="background-color: transparent;">Collegeboard.org is a great resource for this! I poured through the pages of universities all over the U.S. when I was a senior in high school. Collegeboard was my go-to site! They put all of the information in one place and it is very easy to use. They even have various filters you can apply to see only colleges that have programs you are interested. To determine academic rigor, look at the admissions requirements, G.P.A. of past admitted applicants, SAT/ACT scores, class rank etc. This will give you an idea of what scores and grades you need to be accepted. However, don't be discouraged your application will be reviewed based on the full picture! College-board will help you get an idea of what is most important to the specific school you are applying to.</span>

This professional recommends the following next steps:

• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Chat with your Guidance Counselor</span>
• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Create a Collegeboard.org account</span>
• <span style="background-color: transparent;">Start using CollegeBoard as a resource to look up schools.</span>

Here are some tips:

http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/transitioning-from-high-school-to-college-academics
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/young-adult/Pages/The-Transition-from-High-School-to-College.aspx
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/hear-our-students/student-blog/five-tips-how-transition-high-school-college

Best of luck!