“Better late than never” is a common phrase when students are applying to colleges. High schoolers tend to get stressed about where to go to college and what to major in when nearing their graduation year.
Choosing the right college is more efficient with an earlier start such as freshman year. This gives you plenty of time to take advantage of the opportunities to get in touch with the schools you might be interested in.
Most high school students start focusing on what they would like to study as a major, but some don’t think of the ‘where’ part of going to college. It is never too soon to start touring colleges and getting a jump on the future. A big part of picking colleges is getting the feel of the campus and the area surrounding the interests of the major chosen.
As students of Kelly Walsh get closer to their senior year of high school, they are trying to balance school and social life. To ease the stress of finishing high school and all the finals, they might want to make the visits earlier throughout the four years of high school. Freshmen deal with the leap of coming from middle school and it starts to hit them that they will be grown-ups sooner than later, and have to consider their future.
“I think that people should start thinking about majors towards the end of sophomore year or the beginning of junior year, but looking into colleges should start towards the beginning of the junior year. As a freshman, you should have an idea, but still be flexible,” said freshman Olivia Lavin.
Visiting a college can tell an individual if he or she wants to attend that college. It is easier to choose a college rather than major first. Touring colleges isn’t always affordable for some families, but there is a solution. Virtual tours are now an option as well. It might not be ideal, but it can open up the area to a closer look with either a self-guided tour or a more interactive option.
The U.S. News has an Education section and a list of “14 Tips for an Effective College Visit.” In this article, it has a tip of exploring various tour options which they included as virtual. “…an offering from Hamilton College in New York. Alexa M. Ray, assistant dean of admission at Hamilton, describes this option as ‘essentially a virtual tour, using selfie sticks and iPhones’ that is led by current students,” said U.S. News.
The benefit of getting a jump on finding the perfect college with taking a tour eases the stress and helps make the decision easier for choosing a college. U.S. News quotes Darrin Q. Rankin, vice president for enrollment at Jarvis Christian University in Texas. “‘By Thanksgiving of your junior year, you should know the school that you are applying to as your preferred choice,’” said Rankin. Getting a head start is never a bad thing, but being unprepared can bring unneeded worry when the time comes.
