The idea of college can be intimidating. Many students struggle every year at the prospect of college research. It’s important to know where you can find resources, who can help you, and what you should complete.  Whether you already know where you want to go, or have no clue where to start, here is the ultimate advice guide on everything college related. 

1. The Essay 
   1. Writing the essay can be daunting. It can be hard to choose a topic and get started. The best thing you can do for yourself is write your essay during spring of Junior year. That way you can get advice from teachers before the school year ends and have plenty of time to fix it up over the summer. The essay is the best way colleges get an insight on the type of student you are, therefore, it’s important that the essay accurately portrays you. 
2. CCC
   1. The College and Career Center is a great resource for students who have any questions. Ms. Brown and Ms. Erin have all the knowledge about colleges and applications. They are happy to help you with anything you need. Your grades google classroom should have resources on how to make an appointment with them. 
3. Niche
   1. If you want to have a larger gauge on schools, a helpful app to use is Niche. Niche is a platform that ranks all the universities in the U.S on various aspects such as party life, dorms, athletics, diversity. Safety, professors, and more. It includes price, population, area, and key details of every university all on one app.

1. College Lists 
   1. It’s important that you have a list of schools you want to apply to when September comes around. The list should include likely, target, and reach school. This means you should have a couple schools where you are exceeding the average requirements, a couple where you match the academic requirements, and somewhere you lie a little below the average requirements. The price of tuition is a significant factor that needs to be considered. If you know you won’t be considered for enough financial aid, don’t apply to that school. Each college application submission can be very expensive, especially when they add up, so there’s no point in applying to a school you know you won’t attend. 
2. College Visits
   1. The CCC has multiple college visits scheduled everyday. A college visit is when a representative from that college comes and gives a description of all their school has to offer. Besides visiting the actual school, it’s the best way to get information and a taste of life at that university.