When you’re looking to get into a particular college, it never hurts to start preparing early.  The earlier you prepare, the better your chances are going to be when you’re ready to apply for college.

To increase your chances, I would strongly encourage that you start your process in your freshman year.  Even if you’re in your senior year, it’s never really too late.  The more you do in regards to the pointers below, the better your chances are going to be in landing a gig.

What you should do during your High School career…

Keep your grades up

This is a no brainer.  You will want to try your best with your grades.  No matter what grade you’re in, you will want to keep them up as high as possible.  While your GPA is probably the biggest thing they look at, it isn’t necessarily 100% of their decision.  Make your goal of an A or better from day 1 of High School.

Don’t slack with your classes

Colleges are going to want to look at your schedule and while many of them are going to require that you take particular courses, you’re going to find that you will want to take some challenging courses.  For example, if you can take AP based courses, this is going to be in your best interest.  If you’re just going to take physical education classes and more, the college may frown upon this.

Join clubs and do extracurricular activities

There’s more to High School than course work.  There are also clubs, sports teams, and more that you can join.  Think of an interest that you enjoy and see if there is a club for it.  For example, try and get into MADD if you animate about drunk drivers on the road.

Take your ACT and SAT

Most colleges are going to require that you take the ACT as well as the SAT.  If you don’t have the scores for these test, they may not consider you.  It’s essential that you prepare for these tests well in advance.  Once you do, register to take the test in your area.  Refer to ACT for testing locations.

Once you hit your Junior / Senior year…

Start visiting the schools

By the time you hit your Junior year, this is when you want to get serious about attending school.  Make a list of the schools that you’re interested in.  You will want to attend college fairs, as well as research the schools that you want to go to online.

Request applications

Once you get a few in mind that you want to attend, you’re going to want to get an application.  This is going to give you a better idea on what they are all about.  You’re going to find that many of them are going to require that you prepare an essay.  This is something that you’re going to want to take your time with.

Get recommendations

Major colleges are going to require that you get a letter of recommendation written out.  Find people that you trust, as well as who are important to you.  Let them know what you’re going to need in terms of college.  This is a great way to increase your chances of landing that college approval letter.

Mail and wait

When you’re ready, mail out that application or submit it online.  Make sure that everything looks right.  Depending on the school, it can take weeks to receive your approval letter.

While paying your loans or college bills with a student credit card isn’t the greatest idea in the world, you may want to consider one because they are great for emergencies.

Keep in mind before we start with the tips that no student credit card is going to be able to pay off your student tuition, as you’re soon going to find out that your credit limit will never exceed $1,000 at the beginning 99% of the time.

How can I pick out the best student credit cards?

• Don’t worry about the rate: You don’t have to worry about the interest rate if you pay your bill off in full.  Many students don’t realize this right away when using a card.  If you pay your bill off in full, you won’t see any interest rate charges.
• Get a card with rewards: If you’re going to use your card, get a card that is going to reward you.  Many cards on the market today are going to get you a point, or a certain percentage back for every dollar that you spend.  This is a great way to gain rewards for every day spending.
• Make sure it has a major logo: Don’t fall into the trap of getting a card that isn’t going to allow you to use it at other stores.  Get a card with a major logo from issuers such as Citi, MasterCard and more.  Be advised that there are a lot of merchants that still deny AMEX cards.
• Don’t pay a fee: If your card is going to have a fee, there’s no reason to consider signing up for it.    When doing my research, I have found that there are no cards that are worth your time in paying annual fees.  There’s no reason to pay a fee to use a card.  Trust me, there are plenty of cards out there that can give you a $0 annual fee.

These 4 tips are really the best way to find the best card for you.  The market changes so often, you will find that by following these strategies, you should get a card that is going to fit great in your wallet.

Like the early decision, you’re going to find that, “early action” is fairly similar.   To make things clear, I thought I would make a FAQ page in regards to your questions on early action.

What is Early Action?

Just like an early decision, you’re going to have to complete an application generally before November in order to get an answer from a college of your choice.  While every college has a different deadline, you’re going to want to refer to them to see what the exact date is.

Once you apply, you will get a decision from the college before the New Year.  This is a great process for those to take apart that don’t want to wait for a decision at the last minute.  Basically, those that like to plan well in advance should take advantage of the early action opportunities.

Early Action vs. Early Decision

You’re probably wondering why you should choose early action over an early decision and let me explain the following.

1. When you apply as an early action candidate, you’re going to find that your acceptance rate is going to be much higher.
2. Even if you’re not accepted, you can still be considered for the regular admission pool.  Colleges are stricter with the early admission process.
3. Unlike the early decision, with the early action plan, you can apply to more than one college.
4. You can wait on your decision.  Generally, you don’t have to commit 100%, but rather, you can wait until May to make your decision.
5. If you do get accepted early, it’s always nice to know that you have a college that actually wants you.  It’s great for those that don’t want to wait!

What are the deadlines?

Again, there are going to be deadlines for just about all colleges.  On their main website, you will notice that they will give you the deadline, as well as tell you when you can get an approval letter by.

I personally highly recommend the early action route over the early decision route because you’re going to have more rights and freedoms, compared to the other.  While they both essentially work the same, you’re still going to want to explore your options.

When you’re getting ready to apply for college, you might have heard about the term, “Early Decision.”  While many students are confused on the issue, I wanted to set things straight on what you should know about it and how it can effect your application process.

What exactly is an early decision?

The name pretty much states it all.  This process is when a soon to be student applies for a college of his/her choice before the student year even starts.  What you’re going to find out is that you’re going to receive a response from a college before the start of the new year.

What should I know about this?

With the early decision process, you’re going to have to know the deadline for the college that you’re applying at.  Every college is going to be different.  Now, keep in mind that the early decision is going to be different than the actual admission deadline.  This is why its important that you know your deadline.

How can I find my deadline?

The best way to do this is either call up an admissions advisor, of if you don’t want to make the phone call, you can check the website, or do a search such as, “[college name] + early decision deadline.”  That search alone should yield the result 99% of the time.

What is so good about an early decision?

This is a great way to beat the rush, before a  majority of the other students apply at the same time.  The other thing that universities and colleges claim to do is that they will give you a guaranteed decision rate.  This basically means that they will tell you when they will give you a response by.  This is great for those that aren’t willing to wait as long.

Are there any rules in regards to this?

From what I have read, you will only be able to apply to only one college early.  After the early admissions period is over, you can apply to as many colleges as you wish.  If you do get accepted via an early decision, you will have to withdraw all your other offers.

Overall, you should only apply as an early decision ONLY if you know you’re going to attend this college 100%!  Don’t apply early if you’re having second thoughts, or you have other colleges on the table.  Only do this if you want to go to this college and want an early answer.

Financial Aid is a source that many college students can dip into when they are looking for assistance for college.  This aid can come from many numerous resources such as the government, a private business, as well as the college itself.  While it has some pretty strict guidelines, I’m hoping that this guide can help you with what you need to know about it.

Who is eligible for financial aid?

Financial aid is designed based on your financial needs.  Every college usually will have a formula to determine if you’re going to get any type of aid.  This formula will include your income, what type of student you are, as well as some information about your parents.  In the end, there really isn’t any number set in stone.

How can I apply?

You can begin the application process over at FAFSA.  If you have any questions in regards to the application, you can either talk with a financial advisor at your school, or if you wish, you can contact someone via the contact form over at the FAFSA website.

When should I apply?

There are deadlines for applications.   You can find the most recent deadlines here.  You will not want to procrastinate with something such as this, because you may find that you will need information that you may not know off the top of your head.  Don’t wait until the last minute!

Apply even if you think you won’t qualify

So many students make the mistake of not applying.  Even if you think you won’t qualify, it never hurts to get some sort of aid.  The worst thing that is going to happen is that they will simply say, “no.”  Apply for financial aid just to make sure you’re not eligible for anything.

How long does the process take?

Once you process your application online, you will be able to tell exactly where your application stands.  If, for any reason that you have a question, you can always call up and ask them where you stand with your application.  Depending on when you sent it in regards to your deadline, it can take weeks to get an approval notice.

Again, even if you don’t think that you’re going to be eligible for financial aid, don’t just ignore it.  It’s a great way to get aid from the government or even your college.