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Even though we’re barely a quarter into the 2023-2024 school year, the seniors are already stressing about school, more specifically what school they’re going to attend for college. College is a scary concept that can create significant challenges if you don’t understand the process you go through. 

Here are some things we wish we had known, so under and upperclassmen alike can learn from our experiences .

ACT

Do not sign up for the ACT college email program. It’s literally all spam. We know that you think that you will read all of the emails, but when it gets to the point that you’re getting 10+ a day, trust us. You won’t. You can sign up directly with college email lists if you really want to, and College Counselor Mr. Ben Ascher sends out great emails about schools you could be interested in.

Dedicate some solid time into studying for the ACT and pay attention in your core classes when the teachers share tips and tricks. There are many ways to study for it- do not go into it thinking that the only people who get good scores are just the ones good at taking standardized tests. There are a variety of in person and online classes, as well as various copies of the “Official ACT prep book” lying around Marian and available for check out from the library.

Take the ACT as soon as you can. You will have to take one in April at Marian during your junior year, but try to make this the second or third ACT you will take. You do not want to be studying for the ACT in the summer when you could be hanging out with friends, or cramming the week ahead for the last ACT you can take before early applications deadlines. 

Applications

Do not let your grades slip dramatically, even if you’re a freshman. The GPA you submit while applying to colleges is affected by your first three years of high school as well; if you tank your senior year, scholarships may be dropped as well as your admission to college.

Niche will be your best friend. A website that shows your chances for getting into a college, and rates colleges on their academics, dorms, student life, campus food, and party scene? Say no more.

Go in for help. No, seriously, do it. We know teachers can be scary, but if you are struggling, you need to go in. It’s worth waking up 15 minutes early. Make your least favorite teacher your best friend.

Use Mr. Ascher for help as much as you can. He is super nice and will help you through your college journey. Feel free to drop in or schedule a time to talk with him whenever you want to, no matter how big or small it is.

Do volunteer work and keep track of hours. Volunteering never made any college think less of anyone. Keeping track of hours is a great way to help your future self, as well as to help the community around you. Be sure to keep your resume updated, too- it is way easier than cramming all the information you can remember into it at the last minute for job interviews and recommendation letters.

Deciding on Colleges

Start touring colleges your junior year or sooner. Utilize as many family vacations as you can to visit schools you’re interested in. Everyone will visit a different amount of colleges, but visiting the campus is always a good idea to help you in your journey.

Don’t close yourself off to one idea. Keep your options open when it comes to colleges you may have had distaste for in the past, and don’t get too deadset onto one specific major. Trust your gut when it comes to making important decisions.

Stress

We completely understand that the college process is stressful and can be draining at times. Whenever you start to feel anxiety about it, take a deep breath and remember that one day, it will be over. Doing the steps we are suggesting to you now can help to significantly reduce that stress in the future.

The college admissions process is a lot, but we believe that you can get through it and go to your dream college. Good luck to all of the students that will start to go through it soon, and our fellow seniors that are in the thick of it right now.