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Welcome to The Jungle - a resource for parents and students on how to pick a college, learn about financial aid, and more!

Wanting to be in a college is easy, getting started and on your way can be the difficult part. If you want to start a college life, it is important to start with the basics. Ask yourselves these questions:

• What are your goals?
• What are your thoughts regarding college or post-high school opportunities?
• What financial responsibilities do you see yourself assuming to reach your goals?
• Have you made an appointment with your school counselor to discuss your plans?

To begin your journey, talk to your parents, teachers, or neighbors about their experiences in college, and ask what tips they could give to you. If you are defenite about attending a college or university, these following steps will help you decide your plan of action.

Discovering

Learn about yourself. Develop a "personal data sheet" that lists your extracurricular activities and achievements throughout high school. This is helpful for college applications or teacher's letters of recommendations.

Take self-inventories. Anaylze your current interests, skills, and abilities. What are your strengths? Which subjects come easily to you? How is your work ethic, do you work hard, and when do I work the best?

Preparing

Preparation begins early. The grades that you earn in high school courses are a critical factor in the decisions made by college admissions officials. Therefore, you should take the most challenging level of classes that match your own abilities.

Extracurricular Involvement. You should actively participate in a range of school activities that reflect your own individual skills and interests. Volunteering for the community or assisting various organizations helps your college entrance.

Career Exploration. Investigate opportunities to shadow individuals who work in career fields that interest you. This gives you hands on experience and can be a deciding factor if the job is right for you.

Research Post-High School Opportunities. The following resources are useful in exploring all your options:

• Guidance Office
• Internet
• Personal Contacts
• College Representatives
• College Visits
• College Fairs

Options for post-secondary education:

• Four-Year College
• Community Colleges
• Career Schools
• Business Schools
• Technical and Trade Schools
• Nursing Schools
• Military Academies

Selecting

Selecting the post-secondary school that is right for you should not be a spontaneous decision but rather the result of careful planning and exploration. The school that you ultimatley select should reflect your personality, interests, ideals, and goals. It is critical to research each school and to make and informed decision as you embark on the next phase of our life.

To help with the selection process, follow these steps for each school:

1. Plan a college visit
2. Create a campus visit checklist of what you see
3. Prepare for a college interview
4. Mantain a college evaluation chart, determines your likes/dislikes
5. Create a pre-application checklist, are you ready to send your application?

Applying

It's important to decide how many schools to apply to. You can divide your college applications into three categories: reach schools, target schools, and foundation schools.

Reach Schools

These schools represent your "top picks." Reach schools should offer virtually all of the qualities and characteristics that a student seeks in a college.

Target Schools

Institutions whose average selectivity rating corresponds to the student's academic profile. Your GPA, test scores, and academic background are similar to the characteristics of those students who entered the school in recent years.

Foundation Schools

The student's academic profile should be significantly stronger than the profile of and "average freshman" who admitted to the school. Foundation schools should offer you similar opportunities and services as their reach and target schools, but at a lower selectivity rating.

To finish off the applying process, complete the following steps if they apply to your college selection:

• College Application, by mail or internet
• Letters of Recommendation
• Writing a college application essay
• Requesting Transcripts
• Gather mid-year school reports

Now that you have the school's decision, making the right choice is often the hardest. Review all the information, consult with a counselor, and have a final word with the school before making your big decision.

For more information, speak with ELCO's guidance counselors to receive a Post-Secondary Planning Guide for all your specific needs.