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?
Some middle-class families may qualify for free tuition scholarships or grants to attend Rice University under a brand-new financial aid plan. The new initiative, called The Rice Investment, will provide full-tuition scholarships to families with incomes up to $130,000 and tuition cuts for families with incomes up to $200,000. [...]
Nike gear will not be worn by athletes at The College of the Ozarks following the company's latest ads featuring Colin Kaepernick, claiming it would "choose its country over company." According to the college president, "in their new ad campaign, we believe Nike executives are promoting an attitude of division and disrespect toward America." [...]
Hundreds of colleges are short of space for housing students and some are already turning study lounges into dorm rooms, doubles into triples, and triples into quads. Others are being forced to house students in off-campus apartments and hotels and offer discounts to anyone willing to live in a more-remote dorm.
