AP's

Juniors: Researching Yourself as You Research Colleges

Posted on Fri, 10/19/2012 - 14:21

 

As you work on your initial list of colleges, you need to research yourself as well as the colleges. Because college is a learning environment, you will need to honestly evaluate yourself as a student in order to figure out what schools are best for you.

First, consider your academic record. Keep in mind that there are no "right" answers. You're just mining for information. Here are some questions to help you begin:

What is your GPA? What is the highest GPA reported by your school?

Are you challenging yourself in the classroom with advanced classes, such as AP’s?

What is the most intellectually engaging class you have taken in high school? Why? How did it influence you?

What do you choose to learn when you learn on your own? Consider what topics you choose for research papers, lab reports, or independent reading.

What subjects have you excelled in?

What has been your greatest academic success?

What are your weaknesses academically?

When you have struggled in your class work, what did you do about it?

How do you respond to academic pressure?

 

Thank you, thank you

Posted on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 10:15

Thank you to the students, parents, and counseling staff of Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School in northern California! It was wonderful to have the opportunity to talk with all of you about everything from college visits and extracurriculars to AP's and financial aid. And it's great to hear what is on the minds of students and parents when it comes to college admission!

BigFuture, the College Board's New Website

Posted on Tue, 03/27/2012 - 18:19

The College Board, the not-for-profit organization whose programs include the SAT, AP tests, PSAT/NMSQT, and CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, has launched a new website for high school students that includes a college search function, a scholarship search tool, and an action plan program for the application process. Click on the links to see what the Chronicle of Higher Education and New York Times' The Choice blog are saying about BigFuture. And let us know your thoughts about this new resource...