Done with High School?What 12th Graders Need to Do Now

After May 1st, graduating college-bound seniors don’t have a whole lot to worry about. May 1st is the deadline for most accepted students to make a final decision about which college they are planning to attend and submit their Intent To Register with one college. After that, college application season is officially over along with exams— which means your officially done. 

That being said, most of you have until August or September to do something and while relaxing and applying for an education visa are both vital and necessary, here are some other things you might want to do:

Set New Personal & Academic Goals

Once you’ve accepted a college offer, it’s pretty safe to say that a lot of your academic and college admissions goals have been achieved. While this is a great achievement and definitely a cause for celebration, you should still keep striving towards some achievable goals until you graduate. If you don’t set new goals for yourself after college application season has ended, your risk catching a severe case of Senioritis and possibly slacking off so much that you don’t pass your classes.

These new goals that you set for yourself don’t have to be ambitious or elaborate. All you need to make sure to include is keeping your grades up, leaving your extracurricular activities on a good note, and making sure that you are in good academic standing as you graduate. While these goals are very broad, they are the very minimum things that you should be striving for as a second-semester senior. Feel free to be more ambitious and maybe even take on one last project in high school if you are so motivated.

Plan a Productive Summer

This is just a continuation of what you have probably been doing with all of your high school summers. The common misconception that many graduating seniors have is that the summer before college is a time to relax before they start college. While a certain amount of relaxation time is nice, you should still try to do something productive and resume-building with your last summer before college.

Why would you want to do this? For starters, once you graduate, you will suddenly be qualified for college-level internships and other jobs that require a high school diploma. This could open doors for you in terms of work experience and even in terms of payment.

Secondly, once you enter college, you’re going to need to leverage every resume-worthy achievement or work experience that you have in order to land your first internship. That freshman year internship is often the hardest one to get, but it’ll be infinitely easier to earn if you have some productive summer achievement under your belt.

Study for AP Exams

Once you’ve accepted a college, you’re not quite through with your preparation for college. If the college you’re attending accepts AP, your big goal for the next few weeks should be to focus on studying for the AP exams you have coming up. The better you do on those exams, the more college credit you will earn.

You really want to try and get as much AP or IB credit as possible during high school because it could really set you ahead in college. In fact, it is possible to earn so much college credit through AP exams that you can enter college with sophomore standing. Also, you can also use AP exam scores to test-out of certain pre-requisite courses in college so that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars re-taking those classes in college. Note: registration for AP exams in India have ended for this year, but you have registered, know that it can be worth a lot so don’t take it lightly

We hope this helps you! Best of luck <3 

Succeeding at Online Classes

Whether you’re trying to a learn a new skill or gain college credits during the summer, online classes are on a definite rise. However, unlike an offline class, online learning is quite different.  Here are 4 of the best methods to succeed in online classes!

Create a schedule

Once you know your assignments, creating a schedule for the entire semester can help you prioritize what to work on. Mark big projects that will be due by the end of the semester in red. Get started on them from the beginning of the term as you learn content related to the projects.

Avoid procrastination

Don’t wait till the due date to start working on your assignments. Most that fail at distance education do so because they have put off working on what needs to get done until it’s too late. This is easy to do when you don’t regularly have a class to go to, with a teacher reminding you of upcoming deadlines. Learn what motivates you and use it to keep yourself moving at an appropriate pace to complete your courses.

Find an organized quiet place for learning

Treat learning like a job. Minimize distractions. Organize your space so you have all your textbooks, notebooks, and writing tools at hand. Just because you are home and can listen to lectures in your pajamas doesn’t mean you should treat your studies like leisure. Turn off the TV, sit at a desk, and treat yourself like you were sitting in a classroom among your peers.

Get help

You are not in a classroom where you can turn to classmate to ask a question, or raise your hand for clarification. You will need to make an extra effort to get your answers. If you can’t find the answer to a question in the text, don’t be afraid to email your professor and ask. Follow the instructor’s guidelines for communicating with him/her. Usually this is found in the instructor’s syllabus. Understand that it may take time to hear back from the instructor. Use Google to your advantage to find supplemental information for the subject you are learning. There is a host of research information at your fingertips. Utilize it. Ask for a tutor at the first sign of trouble, so you get one assigned before it’s too late.

Online classes are very a convenient however, it’s important to know there are different ways to succeed in online classes. Remember to make a schedule for yourself, have a designated spot for studying, and don’t hesitate to reach out when you have a question.

Comment below with any questions or concerns you might have of online classes.

5 Tips to Improve Public Speaking

Did you know that, according to Forbes’ magazine, only 10% of the population is highly confident in public speaking? Nearly 80% experience some form of anxiety when they deliver their speech and 10% report being extremely terrified. How can we overcome the fear of public speaking? Here are five common reasons for the lack of confidence. 

Self–consciousness in front of groups

Indeed, many people say “I can speak in front of 4 or 5 people, but a group of 300? Forget it!” The number is too big to handle. One way to improve is to remember that a large audience is made up of individuals. Focus on communicating with your listeners by dividing your audience in groups and talk to the groups. This helps you have better eye contact and improves the quality of your conversation.

Fear of appearing nervous

This can be improved by using the “fake it till you become it” method by Harvard professor Dr. Amy Cuddy. In a TED Talk, Dr. Cuddy noted that body languages affect physiology and have priming effects on behavior. To practice, relax yourself 5-7 minutes, focus on controlling your breathing, and visualize the positive outcome. Tell yourself you can do it! The easiest way to “fake” your emotion when you’re not in a good mood is to practice smiling. A bright and full smile makes it much easier to deal with emotions in almost any situation!

Past failures generate fear

Instead of seeing a past failure as a fear, see it as a trial and learn to improve from it. After delivering any speech, sit down and evaluate yourself. Ask someone who watched your presentation for feedback. Find out what you did well and what needs to be improved. Focus on improvement for future presentations.

Fear that others are judging

Whenever you deliver a presentation, your purpose is to tell others your opinion about an issue. Because it’s an opinion, there will be people who agree or disagree. Listen to those people who give you constructive criticism. You can learn from it and improve.

Poor preparation

Being unprepared practically guarantees a speaker will stumble, forgetting the structure of their speech or the message they want to convey. Good preparation gives you an outline to follow when delivering your speech. It also means practicing thoroughly. You can use note cards for preparation of the speech, but work towards using as few as possible during your actual presentation. Your note cards should have your outline with points and sub–points. They’ll keep you organized during your presentation but won’t be a word-for-word script.

Good luck with public speaking and remember- it’s nothing to fret about!

How do you prepare for public speaking? Please write them in the comments below!

Impressing Colleges With Extracurriculars

Most high school students are under the impression that good grades will get them into college, and in part, they’re right. For many of the top colleges, good grades are almost prerequisites for acceptance in that almost all accepted students will have them. However, colleges are not just looking for students who excel academically. They are looking for well-rounded students who also excel in extracurricular activities.

The extracurriculars that you participate in outside of school hours give colleges an idea of what you’re interested in, what your skills are, and what your character is like. There aren’t specific extracurricular activities that colleges value over the others. As long as you ware pursuing things you are passionate about and can prove that you have challenged yourself and succeeded outside of the classroom, that’s fine.

It’s up to you to find whichever extracurriculars spark your interest and will impress colleges. To help you narrow down your extracurricular choices to the best ones you want to pursue, here are some aspects for you to consider. For help on choosing the best extracurriculars for your high school career and college applications, read on.

Quality over Quantity

Many high school students fall into the trap of thinking that, in order to impress colleges, they need to participate in as many extracurriculars as possible. In fact, this is not the best strategy. Many college admissions officers have said that they would rather students choose a few extracurriculars that they truly enjoy and focus on making a real impact in those instead of joining a large number of extracurriculars and not doing anything meaningful in them.

Thus, when you’re choosing your extracurriculars, don’t choose the ones with the least time commitment, and don’t try and join as many clubs and organizations as you can. Join those extracurriculars that you genuinely enjoy and see yourself making a lasting impact with.

Passion vs. Impression

Some clubs like Key Club, National Honor Society, and others have a reputation for being great clubs to have on your college application. While they may look good on a college resume, does that mean you have to join them? Absolutely not!

When you’re choosing your extracurriculars, keep in mind that colleges care more about what you did in those extracurriculars and what impact you had than just joining a club because it looks good on your resume. Also, don’t be scared of being involved in an lesser known or more obscure activity because you feel like the college won’t know what it is. You’ll have an opportunity on your college application to explain, and you may even stand out in the admissions process for having a unique experience.

The bottom line is to delve into something you are truly passionate about because that’s what is going to stand out to colleges. You’ll probably find that you’re motivated to make an impact in those extracurriculars anyway.

Leadership and Impact

Colleges love to see that you were able to take on a leadership role in your extracurriculars. It shows that you were invested in the activity, took on some responsibility, and had a real role in making that activity what it was. After all, those with leadership roles tend to have the biggest authority to make an impact.

So, when you’re narrowing down your extracurricular activities, give some thought to the activities that will give you the best chance of a leadership role down the line. Here are some ways for you to build your leadership skills so that you can eventually get that coveted position:

• Increase Your Participation in the Organization: A great way to show an organization that you have the dedication to assume a leadership role is to become deeply involved with the organization. Try and participate in as many projects and deliverables as you can, and be sure to show your enthusiasm for the work that you are doing.
• Lead a Project Within the Club: Before you try and assume a large leadership position, you should get some experience running things in the club. If you can get permission from the current leadership in the organization, try to propose and run a project, fundraiser, or other event. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the organization and get some great experience for your college resume!
• Get to Know the Other Members of the Organization/Club: Any activity is more enjoyable when you do it with people you like being around. Try and get to know as many people as you can in the clubs that you’re in. Not only will you have a better time in the organization and thus be more motivated to make a difference, but you will also be increasing your popularity in the organizations in case leadership positions are decided by popular vote.

Commitment and Time Management

While time commitment shouldn’t be the first thing you take into consideration when choosing extracurriculars, it should definitely be in the back of your mind as you’re deciding how many extracurriculars to participate in.  Some extracurriculars require more of a time commitment than others, and sometimes, one extracurricular can take up so much of your time that you end up neglecting other extracurriculars or being unable to participate in other activities at all.

You should be aware of both the amount of time that each extracurricular is going to require and set some realistic expectations about how much time you are willing to dedicate during a week to extracurricular activities. You want to put in enough time to your extracurriculars to make an impact, but you don’t want to have to neglect your schoolwork or worse, your health.

4 Reasons to Prioritize Health and Fitness in High School

Health and fitness is an important and beneficial interest to pursue at any age, but it can be particularly helpful to build dedication in these areas during your years as a high schooler. These pursuits include everything from exercising regularly and eating nutritiously to educating yourself about how to get the most from your body and staying on top of your own preventative health care.

Sometimes, when you’re busy, your own personal wellbeing and self-care can be shoved aside in favor of studying or student council. But taking care of yourself and building healthy habits as a high school student is important for you both right now and further down the line. Even if you don’t consider yourself a jock, prioritizing your dedication to health and fitness as a high school student has long-reaching benefits that extend far beyond your physical fitness. To learn about five of them, keep reading.

1. Exercising Benefits Mental Health

When you exercise, your body responds positively. Some of these responses are chemical in nature and others are behavioral. Either way, the evidence agrees overwhelmingly that regular physical exertion has positive effects on your mental health.

As you exercise, the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol decrease in your body. At the same time, exercise stimulates the creation of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters and painkillers.

Exercise also boosts your spirits in other ways. Regular physical exertion is associated with increased self-confidence, positive self-image, and an elevated sense of control over your life. You’re also more likely to feel invigorated or energized if you exercise regularly, and these feelings can spill over into other areas of your life. Your increased energy could help with studying, other extracurriculars, or simply enjoying time with friends. The emotional impacts of exercising regularly are overwhelmingly positive.

2. Regular Fitness Participation Can Help You to Meet New People

It can be difficult to branch out socially in high school once students have established their core groups of friends, but fitness can be a social activity that brings people together. Whether you are participating in team sports, individual sports, sports clubs, or fitness classes, or you just go to the gym regularly, you are bound to meet new people with whom you share a common interest. Over time, you’re bound to strike up conversations and build connections with people you’d otherwise never have met.

If you participate in fitness pursuits outside of your high school, you might even meet people from different schools or other age groups. Feeling like you are part of a community and have a group of supporters can be an invaluable investment in your own confidence, accountability, and well-being. Your dedication to health and fitness can help you to establish a solid support network. Some fitness programs, like Crossfit, are based largely in the sense of community developed by participating in them.

3. Health and Fitness Can Be a Valuable Extracurricular

One factor that admissions committees weigh when reviewing your college application is the commitment and dedication that you’ve exhibited through extracurricular activities. A passion for health and fitness is easily pursued as an extracurricular through a number of different avenues.

You might join a school sport, participate in or even start a club sport or fitness club, volunteer to teach healthy habits to elementary schoolers, or even get a job related to your passion, like a fitness class instructor or gym supervisor. Pursuing one or multiple extracurriculars related to your passion over an extended period will not only build your own knowledge and skills in the field, but also show colleges that you are capable of pursuing your interests seriously, sustaining your commitment over a prolonged period and perhaps even building to leadership roles.

Your pursuit of and dedication to health and fitness can thereby become an important extracurricular on your college applications, highlighting your initiative, commitment, and leadership skills.

4. Developing a Healthy Lifestyle is a Key Piece of Autonomy

While there are many skills and habits that you’ll need to develop during high school and college in order to establish your independence, living a healthy lifestyle is among the most important. The physical and mental benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle are numerous, and by establishing the foundation of this lifestyle while you’re still in high school, you set yourself up to continue it into college and beyond.

College can be a tempting time to develop unhealthy habits. For some students, it becomes a time of experimentation, testing their body’s limits and responses to unhealthy stimuli ranging from sleep deprivation and unhealthy eating to experimentation with alcohol and drug use. If you prioritize a healthy lifestyle as a high school student, you’re less likely to compromise these values in college.

Healthy living and personal fitness are valuable pursuits not only for your own physical well-being, but also for the number of non-physical benefits that they provide. Not only can these areas of interest lead to a serious professional field, but also they can provide mental health and social benefits as well. Prioritizing your pursuit of these and establishing the habits of a healthy lifestyle while still in high school can lead to success across many aspects of your life.

Have more questions about high school life? Read our blog

3 Ways to Help your Teen Manage High School Stress

High school is a challenging and demanding time, and your child will experience a fair amount of stress. However, you can be a support system for your student as he or she deals will these challenges. Read on for three strategies for making sure your child’s stress doesn’t get the best of her.

1. Promote Balance

If your child is taking on too much, he or she could be hurting herself and her mental health. Remind her about the dangers of overcommitting; not only can she become overly stressed, but her academic life could suffer if she doesn’t pay attention to her well-being. Make sure your child is taking time for her health and wellness.

2. Be Proactive About Your Child’s College Search

When your child is a freshman, start thinking about college selection research. It’s not too early to be thinking about what kind of college your child might want to attend in four years. As a tenth or eleventh grader, she should be researching colleges and formulating her college list. Developing a strategy early can reduce stress later on.

3. Take Advantage of Summer

Colleges want to see students being productive during summers. Discuss summer programs, jobs, volunteering, and other ideas for how your child can spend summers productively. Check out 3 things you should be doing this summer for more ideas. Start planning early in the year to avoid having to scramble at the last minute; many programs, for instance, require students to apply in the winter to consider applications

Final Thoughts

Be supportive and step in when your child seems overwhelmed. Even if your student doesn’t ask for help, make it clear that you're there to support and help her through any issues that arise. If the stress seems too difficult for you and your child to figure out together, consider other resources, such as your child’s guidance counselor or a mental health professional.

How to Turn Your Interest or Hobby Into an Extracurricular Activity

Some sections of your college application are open to more interpretation than others. For example, your grades or standardized test scores are numbers that can’t be changed, and they will serve as concrete evidence of your academic achievement and potential. But other sections, like the extracurricular section, can involve a little more creative thinking as you craft them.

Of course, if you’ve been involved in a few high school clubs or played on a sports team, this section might be cut and dry. You have participated in obvious, structured activities that neatly fit under the extracurricular heading. But the line isn’t always so clear-cut. What happens when you’ve passionately pursued an outside interest, spending significant amounts of time and energy doing so? Or what if your family commitments take up most of your time outside of school hours? How can these activities be grouped into extracurriculars, and how will they stack up against those of a more traditional nature?

For high school students planning their college applications, the extracurricular section of the application can be very important. With admissions becoming more and more competitive, you need to shine both in terms of academics and extracurriculars.

If you’re considering how to mold your casual interest or hobby into an extracurricular that will truly shine on your college applications, this is the post for you. Here, we will review the working definition of what makes an activity an extracurricular, and then outline five specific ways that you can ramp up your participation to create a focused and meaningful extracurricular for your college applications.

What Is an Extracurricular Activity?

An extracurricular activity can be almost any hobby or interest that you pursue outside of school.  In order to be considered an extracurricular activity, it simply needs to meet a few basic criteria.

First of all, it needs to be something that you participate in with some regularity over an extended period. Volunteering at the soup kitchen once doesn’t count because it isn’t something that you do regularly. Similarly, taking a weeklong Spanish class at the library also isn’t a great example, unless you do so every semester. Instead, it needs to be something that you participate in on a fairly regular basis. The longer your participation lasts, the more established your activity will appear on your college applications.

Next, it needs to be something that is not a part of an academic class at your school. For example, your advanced math classes at school don’t count, because they are already included in your grades and on your transcript. Even if a class is not technically a required one at your school, if you take it during school hours and it weighs into your grades, it is generally considered academic coursework rather than an extracurricular activity.

If, however, you took advanced math classes at a local community college or through your local library, those would qualify as extracurriculars, as they are something you have pursued in addition to your school work. Similarly, if you teach yourself a foreign language, that would also count, since you are doing so outside of your formal courses.

Finally, an extracurricular should be something that you care about. While this line is a little more blurry than the clear-cut examples above, you will have difficulty shaping an activity about which you care very little into a meaningful experience on your college application.

For example, if you mow your neighbor’s lawn once a week because your parents ask you to, but you do so grudgingly and need to be hassled to do it, listing this as Volunteer Neighborhood Landscaping would probably be a misrepresentation of what you’ve actually done. If, however, you make an arrangement with the elderly neighbors to mow their lawn and pull their weeds because you care about them and making their lives easier, it most certainly could be an activity that you expand on to create a meaningful extracurricular on your college applications. The spirit of your participation does matter.

How Do I Turn a Hobby or Interest Into a Strong Extracurricular?

Almost any hobby or interest can count as an extracurricular, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will, on its own, be a strong addition to your college application. There are a few key things you can do to turn a regular hobby or interest into a strong extracurricular. Here are our five favorites.

1. Join Others

There is power in numbers, and extracurriculars are no different. If you participate in your hobby or pursue your interest with others, you will learn from them, and your experience will quickly multiply. It’s likely that each person in the group will bring their own unique strengths and insights, so you will gain more collective knowledge by working in each other’s company.

Not only that, but participating together will mean you can potentially reach more people if you turn your activity or interest in a project. Maybe you are producing goods that can be sold or donated. Maybe you are sharing your skills with others. Whatever the case may be, pooling your resources will allow you to do more of it than you’d be able to do alone.

Finally, participating together will help you to hold yourself more accountable. There will inevitably be times when you feel too busy or stressed to devote much time to your independent extracurriculars, but if you know that others are counting on you to join them, you’ll be more likely to follow through on your commitments. The group context gives your activity some sense of formality.

2.  Branch Out

Another way to expand your reach, aside from joining others in your pursuit, is to join or pursue other related, similar activities. For example, think of activities that are closely related or otherwise relevant to your interests that would reinforce your commitment to it.

If your hobby is creating visual art, consider taking an online art history course or organizing a school trip to the museum. If you teach computer skills at your grandmother’s nursing home, think about taking a programming class or rebuilding a computer.

By pursuing related activities, you reinforce your interests and show that you are committed to this hobby beyond the casual level; you’re invested in deepening your participation by branching out to related fields.

3. Quantify Your Participation

Putting a number on your participation or quantifying your results is an especially strong way to drive home your commitment. Particularly if you are participating in or pursuing this activity or interest independently, it’s important that you try to find a measurable way to count your work or progress.

There are many ways to do this. For example, if you’re teaching yourself a foreign language, enroll in an online class that will result in a certificate of completion or take a national language exam at the end of the year to measure your progress. This will serve as a concrete testimonial of your work. Similarly, if you’re creating visual art, start to keep track of the time you spend on it and the number of pieces you produce. If you’re teaching computer skills at a nursing home, keep track of how many “students” you instruct.

Being able to put a number or offer some other form of concrete achievement in relation to your activity will further legitimize it.

4. Incorporate A Service Element

Finding a way to give back through your hobby makes it more meaningful, and you can do so on your own or with others.

For example, if you’re creating visual art, consider donating artwork to a local hospital or volunteering as a youth art instructor. If you’re teaching yourself a foreign language, think about volunteering at a local clinic or shelter where a large population of native speakers seek services. Or if you’re teaching computer skills at a nursing home, start a fundraiser to buy some laptops or iPads to keep in the library there.

If you put your head to it, it’s possible to come up with a service angle for nearly any activity or interest.

5. Share Your Work

Another way to give back is through simply sharing the products of your experience or interest. Organize a night to share your skill with others by attending an open mic night, putting together an art show, or creating another opportunity to share your skill.

If you are teaching computer classes, set up drop in hours to create new email accounts for interested students. If you are teaching yourself a new language, host a foreign film night at your school and provide subtitles so that everyone in the audience can appreciate it.

By creating a formal event that showcases your work or highlights your new skills, you formalize your participation and interests in a tangible way.

Still wondering? Come chat with us! 

Parents: 7 ways you can help your child as they enter class 10

For many parents, their teens’ high school years represent a difficult balance to strike. During freshman year, students may still need significant support and guidance from their parents, but by senior year, most parents hope that their students will soon be capable of venturing out on their own. The transition to independence during a time of such high stakes can be delicate to maneuver for many well-meaning parents who want to encourage freedom while still providing a safety net.

Sophomore year in particular can sometimes prove trying for the relationships between parent and teen. While freshman year represented transition and likely a great deal of excitement about the start of high school, by sophomore year that newness has worn off and students can no longer take as much time to acclimate as grades and coursework gain momentum.

If you’re the parent of a rising tenth grader you probably already know that during class 10 your teen will begin to take the first major steps towards realizing his or her college dreams. In this post, we outline ten considerations for supporting your teen through this transformational year.

1. Begin Talking About Life After High School

For many teens, the years after high school seem like a distant and abstract time. The reality, though, is that the future will be here before either of you knows it, and there’s no better time to start discussing it than now. Be an open sounding board for your teen as he or she discusses possible career choices, college preferences, and other ambitions. Try to offer insight and perspective without being overbearing.

2. Explore Careers

Starting during class 10, your teen is able to gain actual experience in certain career fields. Start a conversation about your teen’s interests and consider different angles for applying them towards a future career. Have conversations about interests and ambitions. Try to inspire some more thought about the future. Ask them for their summer plans and how an internship could help them understand what they might be

3. Take Personality or Career Tests

While it is still a bit early to think seriously about a future career, it’s never too early to bounce ideas around. Taking personality and career tests can actually be a fun way for your teen to start to consider options and to frame his or her strengths and interests in a productive way. Encourage your teen to explore some of these tests. Many are available online, and taking them with friends can even be a fun, social activity.

4. Attend Career Days

Another casual and fun way to explore future career options is through career days at school. You can help your teen to make the most of these events by perusing the event flyers in advance to preview who is visiting and what presentations sound most appealing.

If your teen is interested, encourage him or her to make a list of the presenters he or she would like to see. Your student might even wish to compile a list of questions for these professionals in advance to truly maximize the experience.

5. Delve Into the College Search

If you know you are going to study aborad, class 10 is the year that the college search begins to get real. If your teen has not already, he or she should begin to keep a college list. This list will grow and change with time, but it should reflect schools that your teen might consider attending. As time goes on, it will narrow in focus and your teen’s true college ambitions will become clearer.

6. Education Boards

Its time to start thinking about the boards you will be chosing for class 11 and 12. While most colleges recognize governemnt boards such as ISC and CBSE, this is the best time to look into other options such as the IB program as well as taking test to get college credeit such as the AP. Check out our IB vs. AP blog post to learn more.

7. Get More Involved in Extracurriculars

While class 9 was a time to explore new options and branch out, class 10 is time to focus in. Encourage your teen to identify the activities for which he or she truly has a passion, and to invest more time in these while letting other, less productive activities go. Ideally, your teen should eventually focus in on two or three extracurriculars that represent broad interests, ideally incorporating some kind of service element.

Need more information? Come have a chat with us

15 Questions to Ask at College Fairs

As you go throughout high school, particularly during your Junior year, you ought to start thinking about which colleges you may want to apply to and form a preliminary college list. To help you narrow down your college choices and decide what schools would be a good fit for you, you can attend College Fairs in your school or local community.

College Fairs involve representatives from various universities coming to a school or community and pitching their university to prospective applicants. As a high school student, College Fairs are a great opportunity for you to show your interest in a particular college or university and ask questions to those who are most knowledgeable about the college.

It’s always good to come to College Fair prepared, and one of the best ways to do that is to prepare some questions to ask the college representatives so that you come across as an informed and serious applicant. To get you started, here are 20 great questions you could ask a college representative at a College Fair. Even if you don’t decide to ask some of these questions, you should still try to find their answers before you finalize your college list.

Academic Questions

    1    Does your school offer [major/minor program]? If so, can you tell me about it?

You shouldn’t ask a college representative about which majors and minors the university offers because oftentimes a college offers too many programs to list. Instead, you can show that you’ve given your college and career some thought by asking about a specific major or minor that you may be interested in. If you haven’t quite narrowed down your prospective major all the way, you can ask about a specific discipline like the sciences or humanities.

    2    What program(s} is the college noted for?

Give the college representative a chance to brag about the college (they love doing that)! Ask them what majors or minors are the most accredited at the university and why. This will give you some good insight into what degree program gets the most resources and which majors are the most competitive for admission. After all, you may not want to major in philosophy at a university where most of the funding, attention, and resources goes towards the engineering department.

    3    How do first-year students choose their classes?

This is a more important question than you might think. At some universities, freshman are given priority enrollment and can thus begin taking required courses for their degree as soon as they enter college. In other universities, however, freshman enroll later than other students and are given last priority, making it extremely hard to get into the classes they want. So if you’re trying to graduate early or pursue multiple majors in college, you should ask this question to clarify whether that would be possible at the university in question.

Admissions Questions

    1.    In what SAT score range/ACT score range do most of the admitted students score in?

If you’ve already taken the SAT/ACT and have received your scores, this question can indicate where you stand in comparison to admitted students and what your chances are of getting admitted. You can also use this as a gauge of whether you need to take the test again to try and achieve a higher score.

On the other hand, if you haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet, this question can give you a goal score range to aim for.

This question is also a good gauge of the competitiveness of the college or university. The higher the average standardized test score for the university, the more competitive the school’s college admission is likely to be.

    2.    Are there any specific requirements for certain programs at the university?

Some colleges require extra application supplements like a portfolio, special interview, or audition (that one is mostly for performing arts majors). These requirements are not always obvious so it might be good to clarify with an admissions expert from the university.

If it turns out there are special requirements for the program you’re interested in, you can use the college fair as an opportunity to ask about and learn more about what the college wants to see in this extra supplement.

    3.    What percent of applicants are accepted to the university?

This question is a great way to gauge the competitiveness of a university’s college admissions. The lower the acceptance rate, the more competitive the university is. You should have a good mix of universities with low acceptance rates and high acceptance rates on your college list so that you apply to a good mix of safety and reach schools.

Financial Aid Questions

    1.    What financial aid programs does the college have?

This is a pretty vague question, and you may not receive a very specific or detailed answer. What may happen, though, is that the college representative will ask you about your financial situation, starting a bigger conversation about financial aid options that tailor to your specific needs or qualifications. Alternatively, the college representative could refer you to a website or an office that you can contact to find out this information.

    2.    What is the amount of the average financial aid package awarded to students at the university?

This is an important question not just for you as an applicant but for your family, who may be thinking about how they are going to afford to send you to college in a few years. You can use this question to decide whether attending a certain college is financially feasible, and you can also use the representative’s answer as a guideline for how you should be budgeting your money and saving for college during these next few years.

In general, you’ll probably find that private universities, while more expensive to attend, offer more financial aid, whereas public universities are cheaper but don’t always offer the same level of financial aid.

    3.    Are there separate deadlines for admission and scholarship applications?

Sometimes, colleges include their financial aid applications within the college application itself. In other instances, there’s a separate application, or even multiple applications, for financial aid awarded from the university.

    4.    Can you tell me about other fees and costs in addition to tuition?

Tuition is definitely not the only fee that universities charge, and it does not even remotely take into account the everyday costs of living in college. There are room and board fees, textbook fees, meal plan costs, etc. These costs tend to vary per university.

It’s worth asking this question to see how expensive it is to attend a particular college in comparison to other colleges you are considering. You can also use this question to see if the college representative mentions any college costs that you hadn’t thought of before.

Campus Life/Activities Questions

    1.    Does your university have [name of club/organization/activity]?

If there is one activity or club that you know you want to continue participating in in college, feel free to ask the college representative if it already exists at the university. Just keep in mind that they may not know the answer if it’s a club that is not very common or well-known on the college campus.

Always keep in mind that if a club doesn’t exist on campus, you can start one! So if the college representative says that an organization isn’t yet established on campus, you can follow up and ask if it’s possible for students to create organizations on campus. This demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm to the college representative.

    2.    What do students at the university usually do during their free time?

This question invites the college representative to tell you about the different on-campus and off-campus amenities along with various places to hang out. It’s an insider’s perspective that you may not be able to get by looking at an admissions website.

While the college representative is describing what students do in their free time, imagine yourself doing those same things. Do you see yourself doing the things a typical student at that university does? Use that answer to assess whether you think the college would be a good fit for you.

Post-College Questions

    1.    Is there job placement help for graduates?

At the end of the day, you are going to college so that you can eventually get a job and begin your career. However, in a competitive job market, a college education won’t always guarantee you a great first job. Sometimes, you need some resources and assistance from your university like a career center, information sessions from companies, resume help, interview prep, etc to set you apart from other job applicants. You ought to make sure that the college you are attending has at least some of these career resources so that you’ll be set up for good job placement in the future.

    2.     What do most graduates from the university go on to do?

Perhaps the college in question is great at getting students into graduate programs or med school, or perhaps their graduates are highly sought after by the Fortune 500 companies. You ought to attend a school whose alumni go on to do things that align with your post-college goals. If you do that, you’ll probably have an alumni network that can give you tips and potential job opportunities when it comes time for you to pursue your career.

    3.    How big/helpful is the alumni network on campus?

Colleges who stay in touch with their alumni are often able to get those alumni to provide tips and resources to current students such as connections with grad schools and companies, interview and resume tips, and even just a friendly face to chat with. The bigger and more extensive the alumni network, the more resources you’ll have while attending the university.

For More Information

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5 Tips for Students moving to Class 9

Class 9 is a big deal. You’re finally starting high school! High school can be exciting, stressful, and at times, overwhelming. It’s also a time you should be exploring, trying out new opportunities, and making the most of your experiences. Here are five tips for starting off high school on the right foot.

Find Your Niche

Now that you’re older, you have more flexibility as to how you spend your time. Search for groups and activities that align with your interests. Not sure where to start? Try out different clubs at your school. 

Joining different clubs and trying out activities will allow you to meet new, like-minded people. It will also help you hone your area of specialization, or area that aligns with your interests and talents and path you want to pursue. This can guide your academic and career focus.

Try New Opportunities

In a similar vein, freshman year is a great time to try out new things. While every year matters, this year is lower stakes than the other high school years. Even if you’re not sure if you’ll like something, try it out and see. You can always cull your list of activities later. 

Get Organized

You may have heard that your grades don’t matter this year, but that’s not really true. While it is true that colleges won’t pay as much attention to this year as other years, you should get into the habit of studying and being productive now. That way, you’ll be in good shape later on. 

Think About the Future

It’s not too early to think about college. You don’t need to start filling out applications, of course, but you should be setting goals. Think about the path you need to take to achieve these goals. Set incremental “sub” checkpoints to help you achieve your larger aspirations. For instance, if you’re hoping to become the editor of your school newspaper, consider the steps you need to take to get there, such as attending meetings, writing killer articles, and bonding with and learning from the current editor and the newspaper’s advisor.

Use Your Support System

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from parents, teachers, guidance counselor, older students, and even peers. If you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed, it can be helpful to talk to someone for support and guidance.

Take some time to get to know your teachers. You’ll probably have more than you did in middle school, and your teachers, in turn, probably have many students. Developing connections with your teachers can be a substantial addition to your support system, since it will give you another resource for academic help. Additionally, when it comes to ask teachers for college recommendations, your teachers will be able to speak to your character, not just the papers you’ve written.

High school won’t be easy, but try to get the most out of the challenges it brings. Take your time seriously, and create a plan for success. While you’ll face challenges along the way, having a plan, trying out new opportunities, and using your support system will help you manage your time well and prepare yourself for the future.