Your school guidance counselor is one of your most important resources. She or he can help you schedule your courses, balance your workload, and plan for college. Don't know your counselor very well? Make an appointment.
Here are some basic questions to get your conversation started. It always helps to think ahead about what you want to ask or talk about. They're busy and you're busy.
What are the required and recommended courses -- for graduation and for college prep?
How should I work my schedule so I'll complete them?
When is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) exam? going to be given here?
Is this school a testing center for the SAT or ACT, or will I need to go somewhere nearby?
Do you have any after-school or evening sessions available for college planning, or for taking the SAT or ACT?
Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow? Do you have a copy of the free Taking the SAT booklet, which has a practice test in it? Or a test booklet to prepare me for the ACT?
What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college?
What kinds of grades do different colleges require?
Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby?
Where do other kids from this school go?
Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to colleges on my wish list?
Do you have information about colleges far away, or do you favor schools nearby?
If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal?
What are the requirements or standards for the honor society?
Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them?
Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be?
Do you have any forms I would need to apply for financial aid?
How does our school compare to others, in terms of test scores?
Yale is the first university to rescind the acceptance of a student over the national college admissions cheating scandal that implicated 50 people, including celebrities, college administrators and coaches. The FBI investigation, dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues," discovered that parents paid anywhere from $200,000 to $6.5 million for guaranteed admission into elite colleges and universities. [...]
Literally dozens of people have been charged in an admissions bribery scheme involving elite colleges and wealthy parents who wanted to get their progeny enrolled by any means necessary, including bribes ranging from $200K to $6.5M. [...]
A Morehouse College student who was not able to find childcare was told by his mathematics professor to bring his baby to class. Upon being taken up on his offer, the professor proceeded to teach the class with the infant strapped to his chest so the student to take adequate notes. [...]
