Embarking on the road to higher education is an exciting and pivotal time in your life. College offers a wealth of opportunities for you to take advantage of, from intellectual to personal to professional development. However, actually getting to college in the first place can be tricky, requiring careful planning and execution. And even if you do get in, there’s no guarantee the institution you attend is the perfect match for you.
The good news is there’s a lot you can learn from those who have walked this path before you. You can take advantage of this intel to set yourself up for the highest possible chance of success in higher education. So read on to learn about three expert tips for a successful college journey.
1. Define Your Educational Interests and Goals
Before you start looking at actual institutions, first spend time discerning what you want from your college experience. Identify your passions, strengths, and long-term aspirations. It’s important to understand what drives you, what subjects or fields draw your curiosity, and where you envision yourself in the future. Use self-knowledge as a compass to guide your decisions about what kind of higher education you want to pursue.
That said, knowing yourself is easier said than done. Since you’re likely in high school, you may not know what you love or hate or where you want to be in the future. That’s OK — for many, college is a time of major transitions. So you don’t have to map everything out right now. It’s more about making a sketch of your life that can adapt along with the changes you’ll inevitably undergo.
To start sketching, think about how you like to spend your time. Perhaps you enjoy burying your head in a book or tinkering with your family’s electronic and mechanical devices. Analyze your typical activities by making a pros and cons list of what you do and don’t like about them. Likewise, consider which subjects in school interest you the most and what fields you’d like to delve deeper into.
You can also work with a college admissions consultant to help guide you through this process of self-identification. These professionals can help you identify your strengths and interests and match them with various schools’ academic offerings. With a clearer idea of what you’re looking to get out of college, you can make a better-informed decision about where to go.
2. Do Your Research and Compile a List of Colleges to Apply To
With your values, goals, and interests in mind, you can start actually investigating institutions. Now, you might think that you have to aim for the stars and shoot for the best of the best. And to be fair, an Ivy League education tends to carry prestige, educational quality, and incredible networking opportunities with it. However, such schools have acceptance rates in the single digits. Exploring a variety of institutions to find one that best fits your needs may prove a more effective use of your time.
To do so, create an “avatar” of your dream school by writing down its features. Describe its size, location, campus culture, academic reputation, club and sports offerings, and anything else important to you. Draw on your work from the previous section to help flesh out what your school’s avatar looks like. Then, with your avatar in mind, research schools and compile a list of five to 20 that more or less fit its description.
Once you have your list, divide these schools into three categories: reach, match, and safety. Reach schools are highly competitive but still worth applying to, whereas your match schools fit your academic profile closely. Safety schools, as you might imagine, are those that you have a very good chance of getting into. They’re the schools you can fall back on if all else fails. Organizing your list this way will help you balance your aspirations with the realities of the college admissions marketplace.
3. Leverage Loans and Scholarships
One of the most critical aspects of preparing for college is financial planning, as tuition is higher than ever before. The Education Data Initiative found that tuition has increased by 747.8% since 1963. The average public university student borrows nearly $32,637 to help finance their undergraduate degree. And in 2021, 51.8% of undergraduate students relied on federal loans to support their education.
All this is to say that, for many, pursuing higher education can involve taking on a significant financial burden. That burden can be worth it to increase your professional capabilities, networking potential, and general personal development. However, college is not the only way to further your career and your life. So be sure that you’re ready to handle debt responsibly if you do decide to take it on.
Thankfully, there are other financial aid options out there for you to pursue beyond just loans. Scholarships and grants enable many low-income students of merit to afford to attend institutions they otherwise could not. If you do decide to apply for financial aid, including loans, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It will determine your eligibility to receive government assistance. No matter how you decide to finance your education, be vigilant and avoid predatory loans that could trap you in lifelong debt.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
The road to college can be long, winding, and confusing to navigate. This is especially true if you’re not sure what exactly you want to get out of higher education. College is more expensive than ever before, so do plenty of research and soul-searching before you apply.
With clear goals and interests in mind, you increase the chances you’ll find an education path to reach them. And remember to ask for help from friends, family, and professionals along the way. There’s no need to undertake such a challenging journey on your own!