How would I go about looking at colleges? I'm only in eighth grade. Is it important to figure out now so you can take the right classes in High School?
205561
There are any number of online sources to help you with this. My personal favorite is: http://www.collegedata.com/\n\nAnother good source is your high school guidance counselor.\n\nYou certainly seem to have the requisite maturity to do well in college. Good luck!
408225
I am an independent college counselor. Here is what I tell my clients.\n\nFirst, the most important thing you should be doing right now, as a sophomore, is getting the best grades possible. That really is the number one thing that colleges and universities want to see in applicants. \n\nSecond, don't start by asking how you can prepare the best application -- start by asking what types of colleges might be the best fit for your needs and goals. Honestly, the students who have the MOST success in applying to colleges are those who have thought about who they are and what they want out of a college experience, and then developed a college list that matches those qualities but that also includes colleges in a range of selectivities.\n\nThere are over 2500 four year colleges in the U.S. alone, but there is not a single school (even those "name brand" schools everyone knows) that are right for every single student. So, begin by thinking about YOU. Some questions to consider:\n\nWhat do you like about your high school that you'd like to find in a college? What do you dislike about your high school that you'd like to avoid in a college? How do you learn best - do you like classes where there's lots of discussion or classes where the teacher does much of the talking? Do you have a clear career or major in mind, or do you want to explore before making a commitment? What is your group of friends like? Do you want to be around similar people in college, or very different types of people? How would your friends describe you? How would your teachers describe you? How would YOU describe you? What do you think your biggest strengths and weaknesses, both academically and socially are, and what types of colleges would be best for someone with those strengths and weaknesses? \n\nNext, learn about the different types of colleges out there -- don't just think "Gee, I've heard of Harvard, so Harvard must be a good place for me." Find out the differences between a liberal arts college, a research university, a master's level university, a private college, a public university, a specialized college. As a sophomore, visit one of each type in your state or local area. These don't have to be the schools you ultimately apply to - at this point you should  just try to get a sense of what makes each type different and unique, and what they each have to offer you. \n\nAs you begin your research, keep your options open, but ask a lot of questions. What makes a good college? What's it like to go to a large school, a small school, a medium sized school? What's it like to go to a school that has a large number of people in frats or sororities? What's it like to go to a religiously-affiliated school? A school in a major city? A school in a small city? A school in a rural area? A school in the midwest, the northeast, the south...etc., etc.\n\nAs you answer these questions, try to find colleges that fit with you -- both your grades, your interests, your desires. Keep your options open!! Do not narrow your list of possibilities down too early (really, senior year is plenty of time!).\n\nAside from the above, specific things sophomore might consider doing this year: Take the SAT Subject exam in June if you are taking AP bio, AP chem, or AP US History AND have good grades. Talk to your counselor about your grades and course schedule to see if he/she has any suggestions for how you might improve them compared to other people in your school. Find two or three activities outside of the classroom that you enjoy and find meaningful, and get involved. But don't just join a bunch of clubs or do community service because you think colleges might like it on your application --- figure out what you enjoy and pursue it. Colleges want depth, not quantity, and they want to see people who are excited and enjoy what they are doing. \n\nNext year, as a junior, take the PSAT and plan out your SAT schedule (prep as h
208068
There's  no such  thing as a generic "best college."    You need to find a college that is (1) accredited,  (2) has  the degree/major you are looking for, (3) is in  a  location you're interested  in, (4) provides the learning  environment and class-size you prefer, (5) has a solid reputation for producing  quality, degreed students, (6) has good connections and visibility in the field in which you wish to study and work, and (7) offers the services  (housing, medical, other) that you will need to enter and remain in school to earn your degree.\n\nIf college selection is an issue for you, visit with your high school counselor, a college admissions counselor, or an independent education consultant near you.
221698
Stay in and go to the 9th grade. College's look at that stuff good grades all the way.*
517208
dual enrollment is prob. your best option. that's where you enroll in college classes and this will give you college and high school credits at the same time. i'm doing something similar. \nbest of luck!
407966
Every college you talk to, they will tell you that your high school transcript is the most important part of your application. The SAT or ACT is definitely secondary. \n\nWhat do you mean by "good college" There are 2000 colleges in the USA. The top 20 or so are extremely competitive, but the rest are not very competitive. Look at the acceptance rates for lots of the colleges in the top 100 US News rankings and you will find lots of them that accept over 50% of applicants. \n\nIf you have an average of 650 or so on your college board tests, and a GPA of 3.5 or so, you can get into any but the most selective schools. You should be thinking about WHICH school is going to fit you better. City or country? Big or small? North, South, East or West? Public or private? There is a lot of info about this at your local library and online. You can check every school you're interested in and see the stats for their last class.... SAT's, rank in class, number admitted... almos every college has this on line.
168381
I would recommend you look at this site.  You can compare schools and maybe learn more about them!  Besides, you are the one going to school so others opinions of where you will be going don't matter! You have to like it!\n\nwww.collegeboard.com
348389
You're in 8th grade, and you're looking for a scholarship? Why? What kind of scholarship are you looking for? Be more specific.
186916
Yes, go to scholorships.com I think. Just type in the keywords on google or yahoo search. Or, you can search on the website for a specific college you want and call and talk with a academic counselor or enrollment counselor. I am out of high school now but that is what I did and an enrollment counselor led me through the ENTIRE process of filling out forms for Student Aid and everything. Just make sure you in full understanding of what you are getting into. Always ask for Grants, because with student Aid you have to pay it back. They will lead you through whatever you need to do and fill out. Searching early is great because you have time to decide what college you want to go to.
320345
fastweb.com is a great resource, along with collegeboard.com\n\ngood luck!
381669
There are too many colleges and universities out there to tell you which school you should attend.  There are many questions that you need to ask yourself when choosing a college (location, size, majors, weather, etc.)  \n\nCollegeboard has a great College Matchmaker program that allows you to pick your preferences and then you'll get a list of all of those that fit your preferences:\n\nhttp://apps.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp\n\nHopefully this will give you an idea of what schools you would like.  Also, before you make your final decision, try to visit any school that you are thinking about... the people that work at that particular university will tell you have great it is and the pictures are going to be beautiful.   However, you'll never know if it is the right school for you until you step on the campus.  All campuses do campus tours... you just need to call the Admissions Office at each university that you're interested in.\n\nGood luck!
628614
First and foremost, do research of the colleges in your area and the scholarhips offered.  If you do not know a particular website, simply type in the subject in the search  box. Also, research grants on the internet.  Compare schools.  And my best advise, from my experience: If you are planning to attend in-state college,stay at home until you graduate.  I know it sucks, but, it is worth it in the end. It keeps you focused on your goals and it's cheaper.
340181
I don't think there is anything specific you would need in high school as long as you take all the general classes like math science english with whatever electives.  It's only when you're in college do the courses really matter. High school only preps you for stuff. Regardless of whether you take bio or not, you're still gonna need college level bio, anatomy, kinesiology, organic chem, etc.  Even with advanced classes in high school you can't bypass those classes. At best you can skip like the general bio/chem but that's after you take AP classes.  In order to decide your interest, the BEST way to figure out whether you would like something or not is to volunteer. TRUST ME because it will save a lot of wasted time in college taking classes you won't want.  I spent about 2.5 years taking advanced chem/bio/physics thinking I wanted to be in the sciences to have it all go to waste. I wish I spent more time exploring different careers in high school to at least determine what I didn't like.  Picking a career is tough and only the rare few will find the things they truly love and enjoy.  GOOD LUCK!
422955
I went to summer school and took a full course load ( all periods ). This let me graduate a year earlier so I could get hammered by my grades in freshman college. If you have the correct study habits, go for it. If you don't, take the time to learn them in high school where it doesn't cost anything.
238761
Look into a Pathways program. You can earn college credits while you're still in school. It will save you a lot of time when you graduate from high school.
312469
What school do you think is going to be better for you academically? Also, if yo know what field you are going to go into, which one has a better handle of that area?\n\nAlso, remember that you are probally going to make new friends. Maybe you should go to the school wwhere 5 of your friends are going, because you and your best friend are mostl likely going to keep in touch no matter what. Do you also really want to be clinging to one person as you adjust to high school? What if you have no classes together? \n\nBut in the end, it's really up to you.
337413
My suggestio is to go to find a community college. Community colleges don not require ACT's or SAT's and for the most part all you need is a high school diploma. Even if you were to take the tests now, you would have needed excelent grades in high school to get into a state school, or university. you'd be competing with many high school seniors who have been successful the last 12 years of their lives.