Ok so it's junior year and college is breathing down my neck.
I'm not sure where to start, to hit the ground running when college rolls around, that is.
-Applications? When do we start? How do we go about finding time to do it?
-Umm...so SATs are supposed to be taken this year, right? What's a good time, March, May, or June? How many months should you study in advance?
-I'm not sure what my ideal college is... so how would I go about trying to figure that out as well?
Thanks for all of your help guys; these questions are a handful. If you could even direct me to a helpful site it would be greatly appreciated. Dx :confused:
"Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers." - Homer Simpson
Hey. I am in the same position. My dad is helping me out along with some of my friends at school. I have gotten a lot of advice... and it has helped me tremendously!
Applications- many juniors send in their application during the beginning of their senior year. It all depends on the deadline of the application of the college/university your applying for. I think online (which is so much easier) starts in August. I'm not sure though. Take some time during the summer to figure out what you are going to put on the application.
SATs- I am signed up for 4 SATs. January, March, April, May are when I am taking mine. Don't know if you know this, but some colleges let you mix-n-match your scores to make a higher overall score.
Colleges- Don't rush on thinking what college is the perfect one for you. What is important is to find a college/university that has the major/minor you are looking to succeed in. But, make sure that field has a good background, meaning that you need to make sure that the professors in that field know what they are doing, etc. Make sure that you have at least 5 college choices to apply to.
Thanks! That was very helpful.
Oh, why so many SATs? I remember hearing something about SAT II, when should those be taken?
"Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers." - Homer Simpson
My dad told me to sign up for at least 3 or 4 SATs so that I can get the feel of them and do good on the last ones. I really don't want to waste 4 saturdays at a school taking an exam, but if it helps, then I will do it. Haha
I don't really know about SAT II. I'm in Spanish Honor Society at my school and if you take the test you get credit. So, maybe that means it is a Spanish or foreign language exam? Not too sure. I would look it upon the computer.
By the way, I bought this SAT book on the internet. It is by the College Board, the people who make the SAT, and so I thought it would make sense to get it. Haha. You never know, there might be the same questions on that test that are in the book. I bought it at amazon.com . Its a big blue book, you can't miss it.
Hope this helps!
Alright, thank you so much! Your input has definitely helped.
And good luck with all of your tests.
"Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers." - Homer Simpson
Okay, well, I can't say anything about the SATs as I didn't take them. But as far as applications go, most students fill them out in the fall of their senior year. Your guidance counselors are always a good place to start when seeking information about applications and colleges. Don't worry about figuring out want you want to do yet; you still have plenty of time. For finding the right college, think about things that interest you (hobbies, classes, etc.) and look around and see if any particular college with those sorts of classes/majors etc. catches your eye. A good website that can help with that is [URL=http://www.zinch.com]http://www.zinch.com[/URL] You can make a free profile and colleges will contact you via zinch based on the info you give out. This is a nice site, as only admission counselors can see the info you put online. :) Also, the site has scholarships. Yay for free money! But you can also type in a school's name and get information about them, and even contact the school.
Also, don't worry about having a bunch of college choices. I only had two (I got in to both). Just take your time and look around. I hope this helps. Feel free to IM me if you want or email. I'd be happy to answer your questions as best as I can.
LUC:D
I am a junior as well and basically in the same boat. I took an SAT prep course at my school first semester so I am full of information about that. The SAT II is a series of subject tests like literature, biology, and several others. They aren't required for most schools with the exception of some ivy league universities, but some schools will consider them if you submit the scores anyway. As for the combination of SAT I scores, if you take the test more than once, the college board will take your highest scores and submit them. (For example, if the first time you take the test you get a 580 math and 610 critical reading, and the second time you get a 600 math and 590 critical reading, schools will take the 600 and 610, even though you didn't recieve those scores on the same day.) I would also reccomend taking the test at least once in the spring of your junior year and once in the fall of your senior year, if not more.
As far as preparation goes, the best way to prepare for the SAT is to do practice questions and take the PSAT, which your school should offer. Your guidance counselor should be able to give you a copy of last years PSAT, and you can do problems out of that. If worst comes to worst, go to collegeboard.com (which is the official site of the SAT) and you can do practice questions there. You can also sign up for the SAT there. This site is also really helpful for starting the college search. There is a "college matchmaker" service which helps to find the ideal college for you based on many many different criteria.
Hope some of this helped, and good luck! =)