College Preparation
College Preparation
In order to be accepted at competitive colleges you need:
In order to be accepted at competitive colleges you need:
- A strong Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Strong SAT or ACT scores
- To take challenging courses such as PreAP and AP
- A demonstrated, well rounded student experience; such as, participation in athletics, clubs, and other student organization
- Job and volunteer experience in the community is a definite plus
- Leadership roles, large or small
- Good essay writing skills
Getting Started:
- Find out what the college you want to attend requires for high school courses to be accepted into their program.
- Consult with your counselor to be sure you are taking all the courses you need, not only to graduate, but to be accepted into your selected college.
- Prepare for the college entrance exams and take them early in case you need to re-take to make higher scores.
- Organize your college selection materials, college entrance exams, and essay writing materials. Refer to them often checking dates for scholarships, financial assistance, registration, and admission deadlines.
College Planning Tools
Quick Links
Quick Links
- Get 2 College Center- Free College Planning Locally
- Big Future by the College Board- online planning
- The Common Application- one application for many colleges
- Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success- MyCoalition is a set of free online college planning tools that helps students learn about, prepare for, and apply to college. With an easy-to-use application, interactive collaboration space, and convenient digital storage locker, MyCoalition empowers students to make smart college choices for success in school—and beyond.
- NCAA Eligibility Center- for students who plan to play sports in college
- College ToolKit
College Entrance Exam
Colleges use the ACT and/or the SAT for admissions, scholarships, and class placement.
**ACT Fee Waiver** - Juniors and Seniors who have free or reduced lunch MAY qualify to take the ACT /SAT at no cost 2 times during high school. Also, some colleges will accept a copy of the fee waiver in place of paying the the application fee.
Check in the GHS Career Center for more information about fee waivers.
Check in the GHS Career Center for more information about fee waivers.
College Search Engines
- MS Four Year Universities
- MS Junior and Community Colleges
- College Board
- College Search
- College Atlas University and College Search
- College Source Online - Features over 10,000 college catalogs
- Two Year Colleges
- Historically Black Colleges
- Black Excel - College and Scholarship Information for African American students
- Art Institutes - A website dedicated to matching students interested in Arts in college
- Landmark College- This college is specifically designed to help students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD gain their associate degree and the tools necessary to advance their education to a four year university.
- My Majors.com - A website dedicated to helping students find the right major for their interests.
- College Net
- AnyCollege.com
- My College Options
- Schools in the USA
College Rankings - Princeton Review
- Kiplinger's
- U. S. News College Rankings