The choice of which school to attend can be a life-changing decision. Choosing the right school for you will enrich and enhance your life, and can impact your future tremendously. However, the process can be overwhelming.

It goes without saying that to qualify to be accepted to your dream college, you’ll have to work hard, get good grades, and do well on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. In addition, it won’t hurt to have a few extracurricular activities you are passionate about on your resume.

From there, start to think about what criteria are important to you. Do you want to stay close to home? Do you want to go to school in a big city? Do you want to play sports? Do you have a particular major in mind? Once you answer these key questions, you should begin to consider at a number of schools that fit your criteria.

In addition to researching schools through websites such as CollegeBoard.com and Petersons.com, take a few minutes to review our college e-books below.

And remember, it is never too early (especially if you are a junior or senior in high school) to begin thinking about getting college scholarships. With your parents’ permission, we suggest you start with a site such as FastWeb.com or Scholarships.com. Here’s to your academic success!

This e-book will help you understand everything you need to do to properly plan and prepare for college savings and admissions from 9th grade through graduation.

If you plan to attend college, facing the enormous process called “admissions” is inevitable. But applying and being accepted to a college doesn’t have to be such a painful event. Except for the Ivy’s and a handful of very selective schools, colleges today admit a much higher ratio of applicants. Even the most prestigious colleges are spending huge sums to market themselves to prospective students.

Yes, the student can be very selective about the college they wish to attend. Use the following sections as a guide to the ultimate goal of being accepted to the college of your choice.

Step 1. Review the Top Ten Factors Considered in Admissions and your contractual obligations involved with each type of admissions plan.
Step 2. Use this section to keep track of your admission’s deadlines and review the strategies that can help improve your chance of acceptance.
Step 3. Use this checklist to make the admission’s application process work for you.
Step 4. Showcase your abilities and talents by using this example to prepare your own personal Resume of Outstanding Achievement.
Step 5. Use this checklist as a guideline for writing a successful admissions essay.
Step 6. Use this checklist to ensure a successful admission’s interview.

Choosing a career path is one of the most important decisions that students face today. Lack of planning forces many students into a 5 or 6 year college degree. Many students receive degrees in declining-growth fields or fields with a surplus of applicants, and cannot find employment after graduation.

A wise choice can lead to rewarding occupational experiences, opportunity for personal growth and the security of adequate income. It will also allow the family to maximize their educational investment in the student.

Step 1. Review your Personalized Career Assessment to conduct analyses of potential
career paths, and match those paths with possible fields of study in college.
Step 2. Review “The Top 100 Careers for the Next Decade” list as reference.
Step 3. Review “The Top College Majors for the Next Decade” list as reference.
Step 4. Gather specific information from additional outside sources for further research
into your potential career path.
Step 5. Conduct interviews with professionals in your prospective field(s) of interest
to pinpoint the positive and negative aspects of your potential career path.
Step 6. Prioritize your career selections.

The main function of the campus visit is to insure that the college’s “personality” fits
with the personality of the student. Once you have identified the colleges of interest, a
direct campus visit will offer a clearer understanding of each college’s programs,
policies and social setting. Only during this visit can the student experience the
environment in which he or she will live and work during the subsequent four critical

Step 1. Make visitation arrangements with the colleges that you have selected using the College Selection Navigator. Scheduling is recommended on a weekday, during
the school term.
Step 2. While on campus, you should ask strategic questions, including those from the
Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, Career Placement Office, Faculty, Athletic Department, and other students.
Step 3. Based upon your evaluation of the responses, use Section 7 to rank your
colleges.

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