When should I start looking at colleges?Answered
I am a sophomore. Should I start looking or wait?
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10 answers
Sophomore year is a great time to start looking at colleges. I honestly don't think there's such thing as starting too early, because the more time you give yourself, the more confident (usually) you will have in your decision. If you have an idea already of where you want to go, go to the college's website, read about them, follow them on social media, and attend online webinars, which will show you if you even want to visit them in person. If you don't, then make a list of what you think you might want in a college. Include things like location, size, type, and major availability on your list, and make sure to rank them on how important they are to you. Then, you can use the "Explore Schools" function on CollegeVine and see different schools that fit your preferences. Hope this helps, and good luck!
This summer you should start looking at colleges with your parents. Plan a road trip or a air trip to your first choice schools and see them in person. The only time you'll be able to do that again if you miss any is the following summer before senior year.
You don't know what the COVID-19 situation will be in the future so it's better to have extra time to check out colleges in case they stop on campus learning again.
Good luck.
Sophomore year is a good time to start looking at what you want in a college (size, location, programs, overall vibe) but you don't have to make any big commitments yet. College websites have lists of programs they offer so you can see which colleges have what you want to study.
Also also also! Prestige and competitive admissions don't always mean a better college experience!!! You can get just as good of an education from a college with an 80% acceptance rate as one with an 8% acceptance rate if it has programs you are interested in!
I think you should at least start getting a grasp of what type of college you want to go to. Do want a liberal arts college or a HBCU? Private or public? This is important because than you'll know what to do in high school in order to maximize you change in getting into your preferred college.
The best advice I can give is to VISIT COLLEGES PHYSICALLY. In the modern age, colleges are extremely good at hiding the bad aspects of their programs while highlighting the strong aspects. The best way to know what type of colleges you want to apply to is to actually sign up for in person tours.
You might as well get going. Why wait? You don't need to start your application or anything super serious like that but you can make lists of your college choices, your desired major, etc. Also, look for ways to pay for your education so you can stay out of debt.
I'm a junior in HS and I didn't start looking for colleges until the start of junior year. But it's not a bad idea to start early. If you start now you'll have a better understanding of how colleges admissions work. To answer your question, you should start now.
You can never start too early! I'm also a sophomore and have been looking since 7th grade. Use CollegeVine or U.S. News rankings to help you find schools that would be a good fit for you!
You should probably be looking at colleges so you will know your money plan and how far you will away from home.
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