Planning to head to a 2 or 4-year college?
It is never too early to start thinking about college! Even our 9th graders should start thinking and planning for the future now by researching colleges that you are interested in. Every college has different admissions requirements and looking at these requirements early on during your high school career ensures that you can work to meet those requirements from the get-go.
Who should go to college?
Anyone CAN go to college, but it is important to first get an idea of your plans for the future. Start by taking some of the interest inventories listed on our Career Resources page and narrowing down the type of career you want for the future. We recommend talking to people who already work in that field and thoroughly researching what your days would be like if you pursue that career. You want to make sure that your career goal matches your strengths AND interests!
Once you have narrowed down a career or two that you are seriously interested in pursuing, THEN take a look at the education required for that career. You want your post-secondary education plans to match with your careers goals so you can avoid taking unnecessary loans or pursuing an education that does not align with your potential future career.
If this process leads you down the path of pursuing a 2 or 4-year college degree, we highly recommend that you take time to explore the different colleges available to you. Below is a link to a college search tool that can help you select a few colleges that fit with your career goals and personality. After you have used this tool to identify some colleges of interest, TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS to make sure you will have the prerequisites required for admission.
Once you have narrowed down a career or two that you are seriously interested in pursuing, THEN take a look at the education required for that career. You want your post-secondary education plans to match with your careers goals so you can avoid taking unnecessary loans or pursuing an education that does not align with your potential future career.
If this process leads you down the path of pursuing a 2 or 4-year college degree, we highly recommend that you take time to explore the different colleges available to you. Below is a link to a college search tool that can help you select a few colleges that fit with your career goals and personality. After you have used this tool to identify some colleges of interest, TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS to make sure you will have the prerequisites required for admission.
Student Resources - General
FinAid - Student guide to financial aid: www.finaid.org/students/
High School Courses Colleges Look For: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/your-high-school-record/high-school-classes-colleges-look-for
College Planner (9th and 10th grade): secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-Planning-9th-10th-Graders.pdf
College Planner (11th grade): secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-Planning-Calendar-Juniors.pdf
How to Build a College List: media.collegeboard.com/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-List-Handout.pdf
Types of Colleges: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/college-101/types-of-colleges-the-basics
College Search Tool: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges
College Admissions Timeline: www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/get-started/introduction-ca/a/master-timeline-college-admissions
High School Courses Colleges Look For: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/your-high-school-record/high-school-classes-colleges-look-for
College Planner (9th and 10th grade): secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-Planning-9th-10th-Graders.pdf
College Planner (11th grade): secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-Planning-Calendar-Juniors.pdf
How to Build a College List: media.collegeboard.com/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-List-Handout.pdf
Types of Colleges: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/college-101/types-of-colleges-the-basics
College Search Tool: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges
College Admissions Timeline: www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/college-admissions/get-started/introduction-ca/a/master-timeline-college-admissions
Student Resources - scholarship Resources
Raise.me https://www.raise.me/
This website allows you to earn micro-scholarships during high school that will go towards your tuition if you attend that school. College Board Scholarship Opportunities https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/ This scholarship program is open to all students and it doesn't require an essay, application, or minimum GPA. Instead, it rewards your effort and initiative. Complete key steps along your path to college for a chance to earn scholarships. Fastweb www.fastweb.com Scholarship Search - Join and match instantly. It's just that easy. Once you complete your profile you'll have access to Fastweb's database of more than 1.5 million scholarships. Thats $3.4 billion dollars in funding - all available to students like you! Sallie Mae - www.salliemae.com/plan-for-college/scholarships Scholarship search - Find college scholarships that match your skills, activities, and interests based on the profile you create. Set up customized alerts to notify you when a new scholarship that matches your profile becomes available. Plus, be entered to win $1,000 in our monthly sweepstakes. Other Scholarship Opportunities THIS LIST IS ONLY A PORTION OF AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS AND WILL BE FREQUENTLY UPDATED TO REFLECT ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GgU4sOGE_rwT88Xep0LYfMoBG0WlGB-0LG8vIaH3sqU/edit?usp=sharing |
Parent Resources
PA Student Aid Guide: https://www.pheaa.org/college-planning/student-aid-guide/
Federal Student Aid Official Website: studentaid.ed.gov/sa/
Help Your Child Make College a Reality: secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/swf/college-ed/english/index.html
Completing the FAFSA Webinar: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/for-parents/webinar-completing-fafsa-what-you-need-to-know
Explaining Financial Aid: professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/financial-aidprofessionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/financial-aid
Essential Application Steps: secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/bigfuture/parent-toolkit-college-plannning-overview.pdf
Federal Student Aid Official Website: studentaid.ed.gov/sa/
Help Your Child Make College a Reality: secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/swf/college-ed/english/index.html
Completing the FAFSA Webinar: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/for-parents/webinar-completing-fafsa-what-you-need-to-know
Explaining Financial Aid: professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/financial-aidprofessionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/financial-aid
Essential Application Steps: secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/bigfuture/parent-toolkit-college-plannning-overview.pdf