Preparing to Prepare for College

Deer Dee:
I am a junior this year. Next year, I need to apply to colleges, but I have no idea where to start. I have two colleges in mind and I know I would like to play volleyball for either school.

I have no idea how to go about getting information on the colleges or how to find out what courses I should take next year to prepare for a possible major. Basically I am out in the dark.

Don't freak out! You've actually already done more than quite a few people in the same boat -- you've narrowed down the colleges you'd like to attend. That's great!

I was able to find this really great site our educational search supplies, which offers step-by-step preparation for high school freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors - based on time of school year, etc.

For instance, a junior, during the spring months should be:
-- Get Ready for the SAT
-- Visit the SAT Preparation CenterTM to take a free full-length official practice test and get a score and skills report. Be sure to sign up for The Official SAT Question of the DayTM for daily practice.

-- Explore Colleges
-- Start visiting local colleges: large, small, public, and private. Get a feel for what works for you. Develop a list of 15-20 colleges that interest you. Search for colleges and use My College List.

-- Prepare for AP® Exams
-- Do well on AP exams and receive credit or placement at most colleges. Get AP Exam preparation.

-- Plan Ahead for the Summer & Senior Year
-- Review your senior year class schedule with your counselor. Challenge yourself with honors and AP classes and stick with sequences you've begun, in the languages, for example. Read about how to select your courses.
-- Plan summer activities early. Enrich yourself by volunteering, getting an interesting job or internship, or signing up for special summer learning programs.

Further preparations by high school grade level can be found here:
High School Freshman College Action Plan
High School Sophomore College Action Plan
High School Junior College Action Plan
High School Senior College Action Plan

Also, if you're serious about playing volleyball for the colleges you're thinking of attending, ask your coach to reach out to the athletic programs at those colleges. They'll want to see tapes, review stats and also talk to her about your ability and your potential. She should get on that right away. If you have more academic questions, your guidance counselor at school should be able to help -- that's what she's there for!

Good luck!