Overview

Many schools have a goal of helping students to become, “College or Career Ready,” yet few schools have a goal of assisting students in developing a college bound plan. Consequently, many students, even the valedictorian and salutatorian of their high school class, find themselves assuming thousands of dollars in student loan debt to assist in paying for the cost of college. College admissions is so competitive, that without a college bound plan, even the most academically accomplished high school students are denied admission to their top choice colleges each year.

The goal of this unit is to expand your understanding of how competitive it is to get into college and why even college planning consultants (some of whom are paid over $10,000), who are paid to assist students in developing college bound plans, may not fully understand why all of the units contained in our course are important in guiding your planning.

Objectives

  • Expand your understanding of why you must ‘Own the Process’ in your own college planning.
  • Expand your understanding of how competitive it is to be offered admission into top colleges or to qualify for top scholarships.
  • Engage in a group discussion with other students pertaining to their experiences in the college planning process.

Estimated time to complete: Undetermined

Guiding Questions

  • If you were applying to college today, as a first-year student or as a transfer applicant, how competitive of an applicant would you be?
  • Since most first-year college applications are submitted during the fall and winter of a student’s senior year of high school, you will only have 3 years of high school to become the most competitive applicant possible. How many years do you have left to develop your plan? If you are a current college student, how much time do you have before applying as a transfer student or first-year graduate student?
  • How many students apply to 4-year colleges and universities each year?
  • How many 4-year colleges and universities are there in the United States?
  • How much do you think it costs to attend college?
  • What percentage of students who attend a four-year college actually graduate in four years?