Preparing for College
High School Senior Vault
Plan Your Next Step
Your starting point is the transition into higher education: choosing where to go, what to study, how to pay for it, and how to arrive prepared.
What's inside
Topics covered in this vault
College Planning
- College search
- Community college vs. university
- Public vs. private
- Online vs. traditional
- In-state vs. out-of-state
- Understanding accreditation
- College comparison
Choosing a Major
- Interests vs. career opportunities
- Understanding degree types
- Major vs. minor
- Changing majors
- Career outlook
- Degree ROI
Applications
- Application timeline
- Admissions terminology
- Essays and personal statements
- Recommendation letters
- Application checklist
- Acceptance decisions
Paying for College
- FAFSA basics
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Student loans
- Work-study
- Cost of attendance
- Net price vs. published tuition
- Building a college budget
Preparing for Freshman Year
- Orientation
- Placement testing
- Registering for classes
- Understanding credit hours
- Reading a degree plan
- College email etiquette
- What to expect during the first week
Tools & downloads
Built for this stage
College Comparison Worksheet
College Application Tracker
Scholarship Tracker
FAFSA Preparation Checklist
College Decision Scorecard
Choosing-a-Major Workbook
Freshman Preparation Checklist
College Budget Template
What's next?
Continue to the Freshman Vault
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