College Prep

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WHAT DO UNIVERSITIES EXPECT OF THE STUDENT?

In considering your potential to be a successful student, each university looks at the courses you took and successfully completed.  Your overall grade point average, test scores, special abilities, scholastic and volunteer activities and work experience are also important to universities as they evaluate students who have applied for admission.  All things considered, however, the best predictor of college success is the quality and rigor of the courses you take each year in high school.

MAKE GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL

Even though your high school graduation may seem to be a long time away, the courses that you take as you begin high school determine the courses that you are ready to take in the following years.  Your guidance counselor is a great source of information and can be very helpful to you in making course selections, but always discuss your plans with your parents or guardian.  As a university student you should also expect a larger quantity of reading assignments and to generally spend more time on homework, so it is very important that you develop good study habits.

You are strongly encouraged to take college entrance exams, the ACT Assessment or SAT, by late in your junior year.  If available at your school, take PLAN (a pre-ACT test) in your sophomore year.  It is also good practice to take the PSAT early in your junior year.  Your score on the PSAT may be a factor in consideration for some scholarships.  It is also important to take the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) when it is offered at your school.  In addition to possibly qualifying for a Michigan Merit Award, taking the MEAP also gives you information about areas which may need improvement.

COLLEGE PLANNING TIPS

College Application Mistakes

Questions to Ask on a Campus Visit

Identify Important Factors in Choosing a College

RECOMMENDED PREPARATION FOR SUCCESS

ENGLISH (4 years strongly recommended)

MATHEMATICS (4 years strongly recommended)

BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES (4 years preferred, 3 years strongly recommended, including 1 year of biological science and 1 year of physical science.  It is strongly recommended that your science experience include at least 1 year of a laboratory course).

HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (4 years preferred, 3 years strongly recommended to include 1 year of world history and 1 year of American history)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE (3 years strongly recommended)  NOTE:  The University of Michigan College of LSA requires two years of the same foreign language for admission.

FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS (2 years recommended)

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-COMPUTER APPLICATIONS  Students entering college are expected to be familiar with a wide array of computer applications, from word processing to internet information retrieval.  They are also expected to be information literate; that is, to be able to critically assess the credibility and quality of information they retrieve.

INFORMATIVE COLLEGE WEB SITES

www.anycollege.com

www.act.org

www.collegeapps.about.com

www.collegeanswers.com

www.collegebound.net

www.collegenet.com

www.collegeview.com

www.makingitcount.com

www.mycollegeguide.org

www.searchforcolleges.org

www.wiredscholar.com