With the first progress report of the 2022-2023 school year coming out before winter break, many high school students have received several emails from colleges encouraging them to apply based on their performance from last semester. Most of these emails are used to assist students in making a decision for where they may want to attend college. There are several choices open for students after high school, however, it is never too early to start looking for colleges to attend.

According to “Your College Search: When and How to Start”, an educational publisher and higher education marketing agency, colleges expect students to maintain a challenging schedule and achieve the best grades in those classes throughout their course of high school. If students do not continue to maintain their grades during senior year and focus on college research, it can affect the chances of a student’s admission to colleges.

Many colleges are known to do check-in’s during students’ senior year to ensure students’ academic performance is staying consistent throughout all their years in high school. Sophomore and junior year are the years that most colleges look at in applications in terms of academics. Colleges don’t stop there.

It is important for students to do things in high school that they are interested in, benefiting them in the future when looking for colleges that offer programs focused on their interests. However, students should not limit their interests to what they have experienced in high school. There are many opportunities for students to find new interests in college. It takes time to look into colleges especially when students are not set on what they want to pursue in college or even in their future careers.

When students start thinking and planning for college earlier on, it allows them more time to involve themselves in the college they want to attend by visiting the campus, exploring the programs they offer and much more that helps with searching.

Students’ involvement in high school activities, like sports and clubs, is also something that colleges look at when students apply. Students that challenge themselves in their classes and build relationships with their teachers are beginning to build their college acceptance, according to Fusion Academy, an inclusive private school that helps develop students through personalized programs, “A College Prep Timeline for High School Students.”

Although students are encouraged to research colleges early and decide what they want to do as well as where they want to go, these decisions change several times throughout their high school years. Making these decisions is difficult and worrisome for students since many do not know which career they want to pursue.

According to “Start the College Search Process with Your High School Student,” by Collegiate Parent, a college aid source for parents and families, many students may be intimidated when thinking about careers and making large decisions. This is why pursuing interests in college can benefit students when it comes time to make this decision. 

Researching into colleges allows students to explore and expand their horizons when it comes to making these decisions. College is also what gets students one step closer to a career. These are big decisions that determine a student’s path after high school.

Asking for guidance from high school counselors can be very beneficial when it comes to learning about colleges. They have immense amounts of information about ways students can learn about colleges and engage themselves within them, explains the Collegiate Parent.

Although there are many ways students can educate themselves on what they should do after high school, it may not be everyone’s first choice. Though, support is not always offered to students when they want to take an alternative path after high school.

Many students are told all throughout high school that the ultimate goal is to prepare for college. However, in some instances, students’ other interests are not supported when deciding what to do after high school. For many students, the cost of college is the main conflict when it comes to making a decision about where to go and what to do after high school.

According to “See How Average Student Loan Debt Has Changed” by US News, a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, the average debt for students that graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree was $29, 719. This may discourage students from pursuing a college degree after high school. Although some students may see it as the best choice, college does not have to be the reason students worry throughout their high school years.

According to “Why I’m telling some of my students not to go to college” by PBS, an entertainment and educational media news source, many people believe that students should do the same thing, attend college. However, it may not be the best choice for every student to attend college based on the path they are encouraged to take during high school. Students are left to find out the reality of their future on their own when they are presented with the other aspects of college and what comes after it.

Many people believe that attending a four-year college is the “American dream” and the key to economic prosperity. In reality, many students graduate college with large amounts of debt which is “the least logical path of upward economic mobility.”

There are many reasons students may be discouraged from applying and looking into colleges, however, this shouldn’t be a reason to stop students from doing so. Nonetheless, it is good to start looking into college early to figure out what you want as a career and what colleges you want to apply for as there are many benefits in going to college.