Have you ever thought about college? Do you want to go? You may have the following questions: How do I go? Where do I start looking?

It can be stressful to think about college, and when you go to high school it can feel like everyone around you is expecting you to be prepared. High school actually is the perfect time to start. Finding a college can be stressful so starting and preparing early is essential.

“I also did my research about which schools I wanted to go to, programs they offer pertaining to my interests and what I wanted my major to be,” said Allison Davis, former HEHS student who now attends Harper College.

Digging deep into many college websites and doing your research to find information is something people need to do when deciding where they want to go to college. Knowing what you want to do in life is also important even though it might change in the future. Looking at colleges that provide benefits to you and your life is something that many people should look for. Doing things such as creating a pros and cons list is an option that can help people look at what is important to them when it comes to colleges.

College night is another tool to help prepare students for college. College night gives people the opportunity to talk to representatives in real life to figure out what academics and what type of community they have to offer. This can also help people narrow down what colleges they want to look into and then look into those colleges even more.

Going to College Night can also help your chances of getting into the colleges you want. The representatives that go to the D211 College Night play into your college admissions. Showing constant interest in a particular college whether it is going to college night or participating in other things the school offers, puts a face to your application.

“More times than not, the college representative at D211 College Night, play a role in your admission decision later on,” said Patrick Evans, HEHS College and Career Counselor. “So building a connection and putting a face to your application can also help your chances of getting in.”

Former students have gone to College Night and have found it helpful.

“College Night really helped me get information from specific schools I wanted to go to,” said Davis. “Schools were able to tell me about their housing protocols and about the environment the school offers for example. [This gave] me insight of which schools fit my life.” 

Doing well on tests like the PSAT or SAT can help students get into higher level classes or even college courses, this can help students prepare for the workload in college. Doing good on these types of tests can boost your chances of getting into the colleges you want.

“I wish I had prepared more for the PSAT,” said Riya Patel, sophomore. Patel said she now recognizes that doing well on an exam such as the PSAT could have increased her chances to take higher-level courses.

Harper Community College is an excellent option for a lot of people at Hoffman, not just because of the college itself but the scholarship they offer. Harper’s Promise gives students benefits outside of two free years of college but also helps to get into other colleges. Meeting requirements for Harper’s Promise such as maintaining solid grades can help motivate people to keep their GPA up. Keeping your grades up can help people earn other scholarships or maintain your enrollment in colleges and universities. Having a good GPA can also help students with obtaining financial assistance such as student loans.

“I would recommend it just because if you don’t want to go to Harper it’s really a good  fall back option,” said Davis. “Also the things you do in Harper’s Promise can help you get into many colleges such as the volunteer hours.”

College Night is Thursday, September 28 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Palatine High School.  For more information click here: https://adc.d211.org/college-night.