Get Around To It!
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Procrastination leads nowhere, especially in a competitive world. Time never stops; we cannot undo past or missed opportunities. The only variable is how we use the time available, recognizing that the Round TUIT image should motivate us to focus on college readiness.
In my book, Making College Happen: An Insightful Guide to Making Savvy Financial Decisions and Cutting College Costs on Amazon.com, I urge readers to adopt an optimistic mindset by assigning new meanings to familiar words: YES and NO. YES stands for "You Expect Success,” while NO signifies "New Optimism." As a result, you’ll gain hope for academic and financial solutions without falling into despair.
Begin with a blank paper or computer screen and research colleges at your own pace. Outline their demographics, acceptance rates, available majors, graduate placements, full-time and part-time programs, average financial aid awards, retention rates, and graduates' starting salaries. Discuss your findings with parents, guidance counselors, annual college ranking publications, and virtual campus tours.
To stay on the right track to college, meet with guidance counselors to review courses, including Advanced Placement options, and your GPA, strengths, and weaknesses. This process requires continual fine-tuning and assessment. Now may also be the right time to consider becoming a tradesperson, joining the military, or exploring public service opportunities.
Learn to network with others. Connect with as many people as you can. Talk to high school graduates and alums. Read the news to learn about politics, science and technology, education, and articles on the best careers to pursue, especially in the AI generation. Look for exciting and satisfying opportunities to meet your purpose in life.
If an aspiring student struggles to focus on college, careers, and similar pursuits at a young age, it is wise to begin the college preparation process before their first year of high school. This time allows exploring interests, high school courses, AP classes, and extracurricular activities to enhance student profiles and improve college recruitment and merit-based financial aid opportunities.
It's also prudent to explore scholarships and their requirements. Beyond the well-known and highly publicized competitive options, avoid expensive scholarship search firms to save money for college. Be creative, particularly at the college, employment, athletic, and academic levels. This strategy will also allow students to satisfy academic courses and work on their college essays to get a jump start on future deadlines.
Waiting until the student’s senior year to address these matters limits options and increases stress. In this context, attending a community college and transferring or taking a gap year can provide an opportunity to reflect. On a more optimistic note, consider that families have more time than you realize.