Senior year is starting to feel a little less stressful, but earlier this month was a killer. I had a huge history paper due and I received a list of scholarship opportunities, which my mom insisted should be at the top of my to-do list. It seemed as soon as I finished something on my checklist, a couple more obligations came up. I am in the middle of finishing a few more scholarship applications that will hopefully lead to a little extra cash for college. There are plenty of scholarship opportunities; some are even humorous, like the scholarship for being left handed! I’ve found that so much is out there; you just have to have the drive to find it and go for it. (more…)

What types of things do you consider when deciding where you want to go to college? Are you looking to go to the number one party school, or does the college have to be a certain proximity from home, the beach, or your favorite fast food restaurant? You can look at brochures all you want, but nothing compares to taking your first step on the campus with open eyes. Would you buy a house based only on a picture and some typewritten description? It’s a good idea to visit the colleges to which you apply because visiting gives a better feel of the school and helps you decide if you can picture yourself there. (more…)

I never imagined myself in my senior year applying to colleges; it always seemed like that time would be centuries away. Neither of my parents went to any big colleges, so I never had the drive to follow in their footsteps. All I knew is that one day I would go to college somewhere to continue my education. (more…)

As a senior, testing is one of the biggest requirements. In fact, by now we’ve all been taking standardized tests our entire school career. Testing is important for many different reasons—for scholarship opportunities, college placement, and most college admissions. (more…)

I thought junior year was stressful! Everyone talks about how amazing senior year is, but who knew it would be this overwhelming? Many of us get involved in extracurricular activities and take tough classes to increase our chances of getting admitted to college. Since my sophomore year, my main focus has always been to bring up my GPA from my disappointing freshman year grades. Still, I’m just an average student. So I decided to become more involved in extracurricular activities, hoping that involvement might give my application a little more oomph. (more…)

Summer went by very fast; I could have used an extra week or two. It’s senior year already! Since freshman year, I’ve prayed to be a senior, but once I realized I hit senior year it’s hard to believe. Part of me wants to graduate and the other part doesn’t know if I’m ready to graduate. This is the year of applying for scholarships and looking at colleges. It’s all so exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The most important thing to do is enjoy it!

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The ACT test^® may seem overwhelming, but after taking a prep class I’ve learned a lot of helpful tips to familiarize myself with the test. So if you need a few tips, I hope this blog will help. (more…)

Junior year is often known as the most stressful year of high school; I completely agree. I’ve challenged myself a lot this year. I’ve taken advanced classes that are equivalent to college courses. I’ve been involved with extracurricular activities and clubs, including S.I.T.E. (an environmentalist club) and Key Club. I’ve also had the added stress of trying to balance school, a social life, and applying for colleges and taking college placement tests. I feel overwhelmed with so much to do and it seems as if there is no time to do it. The school year is coming to a close in a month and only summer plans are on my mind, but it’s important for me to not get too distracted because the school year isn’t over yet. (more…)

I had a very close group of friends in middle school. We swore we would be best friends forever, but then we found ourselves going to completely different high schools. Some of us remained friends and some of us lost touch. In life everyone has different paths. Sometimes the paths with your friends just don’t seem to intersect. (more…)