With my senior year drawing closer and closer to its close, and college enrollment beginning, it’s interesting to think about where I will be this time next year. Obviously, down in good old Tulsa, Oklahoma, but how much of me will have changed by then? I remember talking to a parent of a friend recently about majoring options and college and they commented on how in the first six months of college you will experience more change than you experienced in all four years of high school.

This little bit of information was actually a scary thought for me. I will know how to do my own laundry and how to iron by the time school starts, but do I want to change? The key to happiness, in my opinion, is being happy with who you are and knowing you are. In the past four years, I have learned plenty about myself and who I am and I am unsure about this whole changing thing. But thinking about it, maybe there still are some changes that need to be made! Read the rest of this entry »

You don’t need any more pressure, right? Well kids, the clock is ticking. May 1 is Decision Day for high school seniors to notify the college they’ve chosen to attend. For some it can be a complicated choice, having received several acceptance letters. For others, checking the box might be one of the simplest choices they’ve ever made. But they have to make it. Today!

For parents of these indecisive college-bound students, be supportive. You might have a personal bias toward or against one college or university, but the choice should ultimately lie in their hands. This is where they will prepare themselves for the real world and really test and learn who they are as a person. They’ll no doubt thrive if it’s a place they love. Read the rest of this entry »

While my final college decision didn’t have to be mailed and received by a college till May 1, I figured the smartest thing to do would be to make my decision fast. I put in the mail my intent to enroll form with my housing form and deposits for the University of Tulsa this last weekend and I can’t remember the last time I felt this good about a decision and so relieved.

The reason that I decided to make my decision earlier was to get my finances in order. After figuring out everything I had received financially from Tulsa and other various scholarships, such as a $3,000 scholarship through scouts, I then started finding student loans. Of course, this was not too difficult considering I went to Google and typed in “student loans” and got a huge number of sites offering student loans. After looking at a few options, I finally found a loan and finished my application last night for the loan. Read the rest of this entry »

Finally, I am able to say all my college applications are completed and turned in! Now all I can do is sit back, relax, and wait to see who offers me a spot in the class of 2013. I will be hearing in a few days from one of my schools, another on February 1, but all the others I will not here from until sometime in April. This wait for many can be extremely hard.

I, although would like to know, am not going to be worried about which colleges decide I am a best fit until the day comes when I am supposed to find out from all my schools. My college advisor has told me multiple times, as have other students who are now freshmen in college, to not worry. Why worry, because worrying won’t get you into the schools. Let the schools review the applications and let them decide while you try to push your application out of your mind until you hear a decision. If you are in the same spot as I am, which I hope a lot of seniors are at this time, don’t worry! Let the colleges decide and allow yourself to attempt to push the apps out of your mind for some time.

Sit back and relax if you have finished your apps! No point in worrying because its no longer in your hands. Just hope for your best.

As I keep working on my college folder, I have come to realize just how important many small details are when applying to the schools you wish to attend. When going over the schools on either their homepages or on collegeboard.com, be sure to look at even the small details and fine print because in there can be important messages or dates you will need later on in the application process.

Many schools that I’m applying to use the Common Application, so for each component of my application, I simply find the due date and that’s when all parts of my application are due. This includes any supplements the schools ask for (such as essays). But then there are other things colleges need from you. Things such as a Midyear Report for some schools to make sure you are keeping your grades up, financial aid forms if you plan on applying for any financial aid, and even a Final Report to the school you finally chose to attend the following fall.

So my best advice is to print a check-off sheet for yourself. I printed one that had a box to tell the date I sent my application, my supplement, and whether or not I had paid the application fee for my schools (some schools though waive your application fees if you apply online, which you can do after becoming a member on commonapp.org). If there are other dates you need reminded of, then be sure to put those dates/details on your check-off sheet, too!

When you think you have your application completely filled out, be sure to go through and double-check everything. Also be sure to double check all your dates so that you don’t miss turning anything in! And be sure that you send everything you need, I would hate to not get accepted because I forgot to send in a teacher recommendation letter or a counselor report form!