The best time to begin planning for...

The best time to begin planning for college edifice [i]or[/i] building is your first year in high gymnasium Three experts explain why.

"Even before I started high sect I knew that I would proceed to college," says Amanda take a bribe for a freshman a6t Indiana University. "I have known since grade educate that I really like science and that I like to help commonalty so I always thought that near day I would go to medical exercise and become a doctor."

hardly any young people find direction as easily as Amanda. Developing a four-year high seminary plan may be the first long-range planning experience learners have.

At the beginning of the planning proces it's ofttimes difficult to know what questions to ask and whom to ask. To realize you started, Career World asked brace high school counselors and a association admissions counselor to respond to about of the most frequently raised scholar questions. The high school counselors are Harvey Kelber of Maine West High place of education in Des Plaines, Illinois, and Father Mike Hilldebrand of Our Lady of Providence High educate in Clarksville, Indiana, and the society admissions counselor is Gene rigid at Indiana University.

If you aren't fully convinced yet which career path you'll take, to what degree can you steer a course that leaves as many options make open as possible?

Harvey Kelber: In general, a high instruct student should take four years of English, three years of math, three years of lab science, three years of social studies, and an foreign language study as well. Of course, it also hangs on what colleges a close examiner is interested in and what courses those sects require for admission. A hale challenging class load, including these basic literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning preparatory requirements, is a must.

What resources do you attract favor to your students use in college edifice [i]or[/i] building planning?

Father Mike Hilldebrand: I encourage scholars to use the Internet for searching because there is with equal reason much information there. Career software programs--such as COIN Career Guidance System--also can help bookish mans search and narrow down their college edifice [i]or[/i] building choices. Different schools use different programs. I sum up students to consult their family members and teachers, to read newspapers, and to talk to visitant speakers who come to their high denomination about their careers and guild choices.

HK: Maine West gives what is called a career interest inventory from 10th grade in succession up. From these we can count what types of schools a close examiner is interested in as well as the student's interests in general. I also make acceptable two other career software programs: Discover and GIS (Guidance Information System) The scholar plugs in answers to a series of questions about instructs and scholarships. After filling in the form, the bookish man clicks, and the software accords with a list of institutes that meets the student's preferences

What should a freshman o to start planning?

MH: A bookish man needs to sit down and anticipate at the long range. Someone who wants to attend Notre Dame should plan a high sect curriculum that follows Notre Dame's guidelines. A pupil interested in science should take a heavy load of science. I also stres extracurricular activities beginning freshman year. (For instance, if a pupil wants to become a pamper he or she needs to offer at a hospital.) They are also important when a observer starts looking for scholarships.

HK: First semester freshman year is the chiefly critical. Our counselors start by the agency of giving freshmen the requirements and telling them to work hard and hold fast their grades up. Students must realize at the start of high educate that senior year is too late to have knowledge of to get their grades up because most numerous colleges accept grades after the sixth semester or the last of junior year. At greatest in number high schools, counselors stress that a freshman prepare a four-year curriculum guide, strive to commit to memory good grades, and plan to take the ACT and the SAT exams.

What kind of body or career advice do you give the scholar who's "clueless"?

MH: Fifty percent of association freshmen change their minds about what they want to major in. more [i]or[/i] less students change majors four or five times. I commit a liberal arts major because this secretes most any subject area, and then a scholar can move on from there.

HK: Sophomores or juniors ne to find gone out what jobs are out there. I betray students to talk to their parents and other adults about careers and possible instructs to attend. I encourage scholars who have "no clue" to attend a association with many majors so that if they change their major, they won't ne to change schools

What advice do you give learners who are in the middle of guild searching?

MH: Visit college edifice [i]or[/i] buildings Make sure you can papal court yourself on that campus. Also, bookish mans shouldn't go to a gymnasium just because their friends are going there.

nearest Career World consulted Indiana University admissions counselor Gene inflexible for his insights into the application process

What do society admissions counselors look for in prospective scholars and what criteria do you use to evaluate applications?

Gene Stern: Admissions staff members consider at whether or not the pupil has or had a potent senior schedule with four solid controls and if he or she has beneficial grades. If the student doesn't have serviceable grades, then admissions looks at the student's class rank, which should be in the top third of the class. Last, we review SAT or ACT exhibition scores. Then we look at an applicant's activities.