How High School Student Should Plan For College

'So……..what are you going to do for college?'

If you're a high school student, how many times have your friends and family asked you that question? Or, it's counter-part, 'what do you want to do when you grow up?' It may get annoying to you, but really, all they want to know is what your interests are, what you are thinking about studying, and if you know what type of work you might like to do in the future. As early as your freshman year in high school, there are several things that you should consider to help you get pointed in the right direction. Here are a handful of them:

College Prep Curriculum

Your high school guidance counselor can recommend courses that provide a good preparation for college. They may not know everything related to every career or even what the financial aid options are that you have, but they can help here. Each college specifies how many English, math, social studies, foreign language, and science classes applicants should take to qualify for entrance, but there are similarities among colleges. So, make sure you are taking the right courses and enough of them.

Advanced Placement Courses and Exams (AP)

AP classes give you a chance to complete college work while still in high school and are offered in many subjects. They enable you to study an area in greater depth and challenge yourself to do college-level work. They can be rewarding because you gain new skills and study habits. If you pass the AP exam at the end of term, you can receive college credit. If you do well, your chance of getting into the college of your choice improves because you have demonstrated that you can succeed in college-level courses. The AP courses you complete in high school can often be skipped in college, saving you time and your parents money. Just be careful not to overload yourself with too many of these...we don’t want to see your grades suffer!

College Visits

As early as your freshman year, but definitely by your junior year at the latest, plan to visit several colleges you think you might like to attend. If you're unsure about where you want to go, then pick a range of schools that are close by. Be sure to visit some state schools, as well as some private schools as well. And always be sure to go while school is in session. That part is critical, so you can see what the students look like, not just the buildings. This will also allow you to see if the students look like the kind of people you want to be hanging around with for four years of your life.

And, when it comes time to apply, I’ve found that you are best suited if you apply to 8 universities, give or take a couple. The transition from high school to college is one of the defining moments in your life, and you want to have the best shot of success possible. So, be sure to use your time and energy in high school wisely by getting good grades, challenging yourself, and using the time to explore your interests.

Ron Caruthers is the nation's leading expert on how to get into college and pay for it-as well as helping students choose their careers and command top money in their fields. Ron also has expert knowledge of how to prepare for a college interview.