What I Wish I Had Known…

Unfortunately, this happens quite a bit: we’ll have our first meeting with student and then they say the words we dislike hearing, “I wish I had known that…”

We wish the college process wasn’t confusing or difficult, but the truth is, it can be. Here are some of the most common scenarios, by school year, in which we hear students say “I wish I knew that!”  Pay attention… don’t let it be you!

As a Sophomore… “I didn’t know that freshmen year grades matter.” 

This one makes us cringe. It’s so unfortunate that many students don’t realize that freshman, and sophomore, and ALL of high school grades count, where college is concerned.  Students will say they didn’t try very hard, or they were told that junior and senior year grades matter more, so they didn’t pay attention during 9^thor 10^thgrade.  While colleges love to see improvement, and generally, the grades during later years may sometimes carry more weight, ALL high school final grades appear on a transcript, and they all “count.”

As a Junior…”I didn’t realize that colleges care about extra-curriculars.” 

They do!  Most colleges take a close look at a student’s extra-curricular activities and prefer to see students involved throughout high school.  They love to see passion, commitment and a little bit of diversity in a student’s list of activities.  So, plan ahead.  Freshman and sophomore year is a great time to get involved in new activities and try new things.

As a Senior…”I wish I had known how much work goes into the college application process and I wish I had started earlier.” 

We hear this all the time from students who join Campus Bound in the fall of senior year. During the winter and spring of junior year, and then the summer before senior year, a lot of college work can be done to make senior year much easier.

Utilize the advice from other students, and don’t be one of the ones wishing they had known this important information earlier. Campus Bound counselors can make sure you are on-track in order to make your applications the strongest they can be.  Students who get an early start with Campus Bound often hear from their classmates that they wish they had done the same!