If you are applying to college, certain things must be accomplished. Labor Day Weekend is the ideal time to plan how you will “labor” or work on the application. But first, you need to determine if you actually want to go to college and is it worth your effort to apply to a highly competitive school, a moderately competitive school, or choose a community college that has open enrollment. It should be noted that many local community colleges offer a fantastic education at a reasonable price. I would also like to point out that no one asks you where you spent your first two years of college. The question always is, “Where did you graduate from?. Also, respect for community colleges is on the rise since it is currently recognized by many that these colleges offer truly quality education.
However, whatever you decide, now is a good time to create your to-do list. If you are struggling to get yourself going first honestly answer the question: Do you want to go to college now? This answer needs to be based on the type of career you want to have? Clearly, you need to do “something” when you finish high school. The question is, “What is that thing?”. If you are happy to be a waitress or working at a local hardware store, no education is required. If you want to be a teacher or an electrical engineer, then you need to go to college. If the answer is I don’t know or no, then you need not read any further. Remember you can decide to attend college next year or several years later.
If the answer is yes, then you have some work cut out for you. The amount of work is often determined by if the college requires a certain SAT or ACT score and how many supplemental essays that college requires. Start the research this weekend. Remember you are determining your future, so remember to get the input of your parents and other people who love you as well as the actual facts about each college.
Happy Labor Day to all from the EA Team.