Excitement filled the eyes of senior Drake Phipps after seeing the many colleges and universities he had been accepted into.
“For the first three (schools), I was pretty excited because ‘I have been accepted into a college,’ but Purdue was one of my biggest choices, so I was really excited, and I already had a plan backed up,” Phipps said.
Through all his excitement, he knew that there were many factors to take into consideration before making the big decision.
A mistake students often make after being accepted into college is either making a decision too early or too late, which can be critical.
There are many steps and aspects for students to take into account as they begin to get accepted into college or university. Here are some of the most important.
The right fit
An important factor students should consider when choosing what college they want to attend is whether the campus environment is suitable for their wants and needs.
It is vital that a student ensures that a college has an appropriate learning environment, good living quarters and a preferable location, whether they are commuting or not. College visits are highly recommended before applying to college for this reason.
“They have to definitely go visit the school at least once,” counselor Renee Buckel said. “You just don’t really get the vibe of what a school is like unless you are actually on campus. So when it comes to the campus, you have to make sure it’s what you want.”
If one decides that the college they have already committed to is just not the right fit for them, it is completely normal for them to change their mind and choose a different college that will be more suitable.
“I think life is full of just making a choice, and if it doesn’t work out, it just doesn’t work out,” Buckel said. “You don’t know, you may think you know, but you will never know until you are there … but it’s okay to change your mind.”
Financial aid
When it comes to the financial aspect of college, costs can start piling up very quickly, making the entire experience very expensive.
Financial aid is an extremely important factor to think about after being accepted into a school because it helps assist with the various costs of college. Through the offerings of grants, work-study opportunities, student loans and scholarships, it helps alleviate some of the stress of managing loans and the costs associated with college completely.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one form of financial aid that students can apply for.
Provided by the government, FAFSA helps students apply for grants and scholarships if someone’s family is under a certain income. It also helps students qualify for the 21st Century Scholars program, which covers tuition for public schools and some private schools.
“(Financial aid) is important because college is ridiculously expensive nowadays,” Phipps said. “If you can get any sort of financial aid, whether that be through FAFSA or scholarships, get it.”
However, if a student makes the decision to transfer colleges, it comes with its own set of challenges. One example is the impact on financial aid. Students who are transferring may have a harder time qualifying for scholarships and grants.
Scholarships
Scholarships are a form of financial aid that are crucial for students to consider after being accepted into a school.
Scholarships are given out for various reasons, such as academic performance, athletics and community involvement.
“Scholarships are a great opportunity to help cover costs, even if you have a full-ride…,” Buckel said. “Even if the scholarship isn’t going towards the school itself, it is going towards you and your education.”
There are numerous scholarships that one should apply for both outside and inside of SHS, one being the SHS Alumni Association scholarship.
The SHS Alumni Association works together with a group of donors and the community to secure many different scholarship donations for graduating seniors.
In general, when applying for scholarships, it is important to see what a student’s school may offer in order to get a specific scholarship based on their major.
Finishing strong
The end of the school year is slowly creeping up. However, seniors should know it is not the time to slack off. They need to keep maintaining their grades.
A common misconception that seniors may think is after they have been accepted into a school, they don’t have to keep up their grades.
Once senior year is over, high school transcripts are sent over to colleges or universities. If the school sees that the student is not maintaining their grades, the college has the ability to revoke their admission status.
“Maintaining good grades is important because even though the colleges only receive your transcript for the first quarter, it’s important to maintain that fire,” Phipps said. “Because if you just stop doing anything, by the time that you get to college, you’re not going to be up to speed.”
Another thing that seniors should continue doing is staying involved with their school, extracurriculars and community.
Some students are chosen for their acceptance based on their community involvement. Schools often want someone who is actively involved in their community rather than someone who is not.
“Continue to be involved … You want to make sure you feel like you are taking advantage (of) every moment,” Buckel said. “Once you leave high school, it will never be the same, and you should soak up every possible moment that you can.”
