Scholarships are the best way to help fund your education, yet some people are not aware of this. Dealing with student loans could put you in debt for many years, so scholarships are the best option because you don’t have to pay any money back. When most people think of scholarships they think of athletic or academic scholarships, but those are not the only scholarships available. You can get scholarships from places like businesses (small and large), religious groups, private clubs, fraternities/sororities, etc. There are just so many options and all you have to do is go out and search for them. For me, I have already signed up for a scholarship website. The site allows me to apply for scholarships for free and requires just an essay or basic information to apply. I have already applied for some scholarships and it’s just so easy. So, if college is looking too expensive, investigate some scholarships. They may help make college more affordable.

College fairs are a great way to gain knowledge on schools you want to attend. There are so many schools; there really is no way for you to know them all without going to a college fair. The only colleges I even really knew about were the ones that were interested in me because of track. Now that I have been to a college fair, I am more aware of the variety of opportunities out there and will probably consider several different options for the school I want to attend.

I’ve found one of the best ways to ensure you get the best scores possible for your ACT is to take a practice test and/or take the ACT more than once. If you didn’t do so hot on the first one, then chances are you can do better on the next one. In fact, ACT research shows that 57% of students improve their composite score on a retest. Also, if your grades aren’t all that great, having a solid ACT score might help because the school will know that you are capable of college-level work.

People always tell me that recommendations are the key to getting into the school you desire. Recommendations can hold you back or bring you down. When choosing the people who you want to recommend you, make sure you have a good relationship with them and that they actually care about you and where you’ll end up. Recommendations are what let the schools know who you really are as a person and admissions staff takes them seriously. I am having my track coach write one of my recommendations because he knows me really well and shows interest in my goals.

Senior year has been amazing so far; we get so many privileges. But despite the fact that it is our last year, we still have to work hard. Going into senior year, I thought there wouldn’t be much work that I had to do, but I was completely wrong about that. Just in my first month of school alone, I have gotten way more homework than I ever thought I would at this point in my high school career. And with college applications just around the corner, I can’t afford to fall behind in work. So, I just have to keep pushing forward and hope that once I get into the college of my choice, I can finally relax and celebrate.

As a track athlete, I have the opportunity to run at colleges. But, I don’t want to compete at a school that I’ve never visited, because it may not be the right school for me. So, with all the schools that are interested in me, I have to make sure that I visit them before I make any decisions. And for the schools I plan on applying to that don’t offer track, I am still going to visit, because the school may look appealing from the outside and looks can be deceiving. I don’t want to hate my college experience, so I have to make sure that the “home” I choose is right for me.

My counselor recommended that I apply to schools during the early application process and said that colleges may view your application more thoroughly. For this to even be possible, you have to have your ACT and other test scores accessible, so make sure you take those. I took mine early so I could retest; I will still have my first scores just in case the new scores aren’t as good.

Senior year is the year that we’ve all been waiting for, so live it up! It’s supposed to be the best year of our high school careers, so try new things and get out of your comfort zone a bit. I don’t want any regrets after leaving Jesuit High School, so I’m stepping way out of my comfort zone. One thing I’ve decided to do is start my own club because (1) it shows great leadership and will look good on my applications for colleges and (2) it’s just a good way to share my talents and interests with others. I hope the club will leave a mark on my school and that someone will take over the leadership and keep it going for years to come.

This will be my last post until school starts back up and I hope I have been a great help to you all. Have a safe and amazing summer, and when we come back I will have more advice and experiences to share with you all. My last thoughts for you are to make sure you take the ACT seriously, because it can be a huge factor in where you end up by the fall of 2012. Thank you.

Summer is a great time to get all your unofficial visits down so you will have a better idea of what kind of school you want to attend. I know for a fact that I will be visiting several colleges and universities because I want to make sure that the school I choose is the right place for me. From the academics and athletics to the community and diversity, I want to feel 100% sure about my choice.