The Pre-College The Associated Colleges Planner of the Midwest present An official publication of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. The Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota Pre-CCollege Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Planner Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois Ripon College, Ripon, Wisconsin St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota ©1990, 2004 Associated Colleges of the Midwest Reprinted in 2007. Updated in 2008. Printed on recycled paper. 1 One million copies in print! Table of contents Self-assessment . .4 What are your interests and talents? What do you want from your college education? What factors are important Thousands of colleges ... to you in selecting a college? and lots of options for you What colleges look for to consider in prospective students . .9 High school courses and grades, standardized tests, If you are like many people considering college, activities, recommendations, and the essay. you might already have one in mind that you want to attend. Maybe it’s a college or university that someone Finding colleges that in your family went to, or one that a friend of yours match your goals . .13 attends. Perhaps the college is in your hometown, or you’re a fan of its sports teams. Making a list of colleges you’re interested in, talking to These are strong influences, and should not be people, using college guides and Web sites, college fairs, ignored. On the other hand, such early impressions requesting information, and getting organized. might make you think that it’s the perfect college for Campus visits . .19 you. This probably isn’t true. There are about 3,500 colleges and universities Planning your visits in advance, what to do when you’re in the United States — and, like the students who on a campus, questions to ask, the interview, and what attend them, they’re all different. They are private to do after the visit. and public, large and small, located in cities and College evaluation chart . .24 small towns. Some are church-related, others are not. Some offer the liberal arts and sciences, while What’s your evaluation of the colleges you’ve others are specialized or technical. investigated? As you look at colleges, you will have to ask Financial assistance . .26 yourself how important these factors are to you. But your choice of a college should not be dictated by a Types of financial assistance, financial aid forms, and short visit or a casual comment. resources for more information. Understanding that there’s no perfect college for Application countdown . .29 you also will make the application process more exciting. If you narrow your sights to only one college, Application options, a checklist to use when you apply you may spend too much time worrying about gaining to colleges, and the national reply date. Pre-College admission to that particular school. That will keep you Planner ©1990, from seriously considering other colleges and 2004 Associated Colleges of the For more pre-college planning universities. Midwest. We urge you to look at a variety of options, and information and links, visit the you’ll quickly find that each one has its own ACM Web site: www.acm.edu advantages. 2 3 Interest and talent inventory Answer the following questions in the space provided or on a separate piece of paper. 1. What subjects in school do you like best? List them, along with the talents or aptitudes used in these courses. Subject Talents/aptitudes involved Example: art creativity, expressiveness 2. List three achievements in your life of which you are most proud. What Self-assessment talents or abilities led to these achievements? Achievement Talents/abilities involved “Where are you going to college?” Example: winning ability to contruct and present If you haven’t heard that question already, debate contest persuasive arguments you probably will soon. Where do you begin to find the college that’s right for you? When the ancient Greeks had questions they couldn’t answer, they consulted the famous oracle at Delphi, a village in central Greece. Inscribed on the temple of Apollo was the 3. What are your hobbies or interests outside of school? What talents or skills saying: “Know thyself.” are used in them? To choose a college, you don’t have to Hobbies/interests Talents/skills involved consult an oracle. But you do have to know something about yourself — your interests and abilities, dreams and goals, and reasons for attending college. Take some time to think about what your goals are 4. Sometimes we’re not aware of all our strengths and talents. Ask a close for your education and your life. This self-knowledge friend or teacher to list three things he or she thinks you do especially well. will help you decide what to look for and which It doesn’t have to be something specific like playing football or the French questions to ask as you investigate colleges. Later on, it horn — talents like being a good listener or a good leader in a group can be will help you sort out which colleges and universities Pre-College listed. Compare their answers with your lists in questions 1, 2 and 3. Planner ©1990, have the programs, facilities and atmosphere that will 2004 Associated be best for you. Colleges of the Midwest. 4 5 As you consider colleges, keep in mind the Small or large? academic subjects and extracurricular activities that you do well in and enjoy the most. Your interest in them You’ll quickly discover in your search that colleges probably will continue in college, and you can explore range in size from a few hundred students to 30,000 or them in more depth. However, remember that you’ll be more — the size of a small city! What size is right for able to try new subjects and activities, too. you? In deciding what kind of education best meets your At a smaller-sized college or university, you might needs, one choice you’ll make is between a liberal arts enjoy more personal attention and better access to education and a more specialized education. equipment and facilities. You may find it easier to get involved in activities outside of class. Also, you’d Liberal arts and sciences? probably have more contact with faculty, and be more likely to get into the courses you want to take. A liberal arts and sciences education is Large state schools usually offer many courses in “Before you a wide variety of fields, with specialties such as broad. You’ll study literature, languages, and cross a the natural and social sciences. There also advertising or forestry. Class sizes probably will be might be options to study computer science larger, especially for lecture courses. Facilities and college off and business, to set up a career internship, and equipment are likely to be extensive, but used by many your list to study abroad for a term. people. because of Studies have shown that a liberal arts its price tag, education makes you a careful reasoner and a What about cost? creative and flexible thinker. You’ll learn to find out what speak and write persuasively and to solve complex College costs have risen sharply in recent years, at financial problems. All of these are qualities that employers and public and private schools alike. But before you cross a assistance graduate programs value. college off your list because of its price tag, find out might be A liberal arts education will help you understand what financial assistance might be available. the world around you and develop your interests, talents Many colleges and universities that charge a lot also available.” and values. If you enjoy a variety of subjects and think provide substantial financial aid. With the aid, you may you could succeed in a number of areas, then you find that it costs you no more to attend a higher-priced probably should consider the liberal arts and sciences. school than one that appears to cost less. Don’t let initial costs alone determine your future. Or specialized education? The extra cost of attending one school rather than another is small when you divide it by the number of Specialized education will train you for a specific years this education must serve you. (More on financial job or career. Perhaps you’d like to be a commercial assistance later.) artist or photographer, an interior designer or a licensed Pre-College practical nurse. Maybe your interests are in construction Planner ©1990, Other factors 2004 Associated technology or agriculture. Colleges of the For fields like these that require technical expertise, 1. In what clubs, activities and sports would you like Midwest. you should consider specialized education. You’ll find to participate? that it is most commonly offered at a large university, 2. Do you seek opportunities for international study? community college or technical institute. 6 7 3. Is the college’s distance from your home important to you? How close or far away would you like it to be? 4. Are you looking for a particular type of climate or scenery? Do you want access to outdoor recreation? 5. Is diversity of students important to you? Would you like to go to school with people from other parts of the United States and from other countries? 6. Would you prefer a residential college, where most students live on campus and take part in college What colleges activities on the weekends? Would you prefer a commuter campus? 7.