College planning during your senior year

Find a Direction

Trying to figure out what to study after high school isn’t always as easy as one would like but there are things you can do to help you answer this  question. 

• A one-stop shop - Choosing a Career Pathway: Exploring Your Options for Success. There are many pathways to success. This publication provides considerations for students as they begin to think about selecting a college or career pathway that is right for them. The various types of higher education pathways are outlined, which include two-year and four-year institutions, as well as short-term career programs, direct workforce entry, the military, and more.
• Meet with your school counselor – Meeting with your counselor is one of the easiest things you can do for great resources. These professionals are there for you to talk out the future, offer unique insight, and help you make informed decisions. They are also great resources for things like deadlines, local scholarships, and connections.
• Internships and job shadowing – It’s a big world out there and not everyone knows what they want to do with the rest of their life at the age of 17 or 18. Your senior year is a great time to explore different careers paths through taking internships in areas that interest you or job shadowing someone for a day who has a career you might be interested in.
• Attend workshops – No matter what stage you are at in your senior year the folks at Minnesota Goes To College have a webinar to help. Whether you are looking to attend one live (where they often give away scholarships) or rewatch a recorded session, these information sessions are filled with helpful knowledge to help you make informed decisions.

After You Have Some Direction

After you have a general idea what you want to study or where you want to go, the real fun can start.

• Look for schools – Are you looking for a public two or four-year school? How about a career school? Maybe it’s something else. No matter what you are looking for Minnesota has no shortage of secondary education options spanning the distance of this great state. The college search tool can help you see the difference, similarities and other factors to best help you find an option that best fits you.
• Let’s take a tour – Getting on campus can tell you things a website or brochure never will. Many admissions offices hold special events at different times throughout the year and offer tours to prospective students and families to give an idea of what life at their school will be like.
• Apply and apply – When you have your school choices narrowed it’s time to apply for admission. Each school can have their own timeline and requirements so it’s important to review the requirements and have all material needed before you can complete your application. 
  Another “apply” action item is FAFSA, we’ll touch on that next.
• Be realistic about the cost of college – Going to college comes at a different cost for everyone and there are so many factors that come into play for students. Having honest conversations about how much you can afford can help shape where you attend college. To see how much you can afford, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a must. FAFSA is used to determine your financial need for both federal and state student loans, it also assesses your eligibility for money that you DO NOT pay back, including federal, state, and college-based scholarships, grants, and work study programs. FAFSA normally opens in October and can be filled out before you know what school you are planning on attending and there is no penalty for sending it to multiple schools.
  
  If you don’t qualify for FAFSA, there is the MN Dream Act that allows many of those that aren’t eligible for FAFSA to still apply for state grants.
  
  Whenever discussing taking out student loans we want to make sure students and families borrow responsibly and understand what money they need to pay back. A great resource for this is our Paying For College publication. This publication outlines how to apply for and access different types of aid, including federal and state grants and scholarships, federal, state and private loans, and other ways to pay. We will walk you through how to weigh your options, what application(s) you need to submit, and how to make college affordable for you.

You Applied, Now What

Applied for admission, check! Filled out the FAFSA, check! Now isn’t the time to coast by. There are still things you can do to help prepare for your next step.

• Search for scholarships – While filling the FAFSA is a great way to see what options you have for federal and state aid, there are other organizations that offer scholarships to help students pay for college. From large corporations and non-profits to local business, scholarships are out there for the taking. This is another area that building a repour with your school counselor can help to find out about these opportunities. If the idea of scholarship finding mystifies you, Minnesota Goes to College offers a free webinar on this topic.
• Make housing plans – No matter if you are planning on living on campus or off, getting housing plans squared away can bring a great deal of stress relief. Consider your options carefully, look at total costs and don’t be afraid to consult with colleges residential life or housing offices for the most reliable information.
• Keep up on academics – Just because you got into college doesn’t mean you can check out of the rest of your senior year. You still need to graduate, and you still might need to take or retake the ACT/SAT. Strong habits you build in high school will translate to your next step. 

Going to college can be overwhelming, we hope that you now have a starting point to help with that feeling. Follow along with our blog throughout your senior year, for more helpful tips and