This is for those people who want to pursue a college degree after high school and the classes or scholarships they need to know about to have the best opportunity to get into a good college.
It all depends on what you want to study and where. If you want to study abroad, in a different state, or want to stay at a state university, visiting is one significant thing to do before making sure you want to go there.
Shawna Magtutu, DHS School Counselor, said “My biggest advice is to visit colleges. College is a big life choice, and impacts where you will live for the next 2-4 years. You have to like the town/city and campus to ensure you feel safe and supported to succeed,” For Delta High School students, there are plenty of opportunities for juniors and seniors to visit colleges, including getting school-excused days.
Choosing a college also depends on what you want to study. If you’re planning to study to be a nurse or a doctor, you should take physics, chemistry, calculus and anatomy classes. Make sure to do your research on what classes you should take depending on what you want to study.
Lisa Hill, DHS Gear Up Coordinator, said “Take rigorous classes to prepare for college.” The harder the classes you take the better. Seniors can take college classes like AP Physics, an example of a class that will give you college credit. Also, make sure to check for all scholarships you can take.
Another big part of applying to a traditional 4-year university is making sure you’re paying attention to and studying for the SAT. The SAT is another big thing colleges look at. Not all colleges require the SAT, so talk to your counselor about other options.
Colleges are expensive. However, do not let that deter you from wanting to go to college; there are plenty of scholarships and programs available to help you through college if you don’t have the money. For example, right now CMU is offering to cover 100% of your tuition if you’re from a low-income family if you qualify. Another good example is the new Chang Chavkin scholarship that Magtutu has mentioned. It is a scholarship that aims to help rural high-achieving students.
However what if you don’t have the very best grades and aren’t interested in something like the military (which also helps pay college tuition)? Well, there are also plenty of opportunities for you to take in there.
What if you would like to go to college but don’t know where to begin? The first step is to ask. “My biggest advice is ask for help,” said Magtutu. “Myself, Mrs. Crowder and Mrs. Hill LOVE helping students navigate their next steps toward making a college and career decision.”
The earlier you begin the better. Delta High School has the steps laid out for you to start learning and applying by around your junior year and senior year of high school. All you have to do is look on the Delta High School website and look for the “seniors one-stop shop” and you will find lots of opportunities. It will have all the steps you should take and if you still have questions, either the School Counselors or Mrs. Hill can help you find out.
Make sure you want to go to the college you want for the right reason. “I will help you go into any school you want, just I need to know why,” says Hill. Some people want to go to college for the wrong reasons and when you end up going for those reasons, you won’t like it. Just “follow your heart,” Hill says.
