Often, it is presumed that finding a dream college is difficult. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case. It may be a long process, but once the process begins, all you really require to find a college you desire is to follow a road map that gets you there.
The earlier you start on this road map, the better, because that way, everything doesn’t pile up, nor is everything left for the last moment, making there entire process a lot smoother.
1. Starting as early as 9th grade is ideal. It starts with building a profile for yourself, and there’s one think that you should be certain of- your profile must be well rounded. It is important that one has not only academics in the profile, but also extracurriculars. This includes sports, debates, inter-school and intra school exposure, perhaps some social or volunteer work or even some ‘captaincy’ or other leadership roles. It should be noted here that often such extracurriculars are easiest when you genuinely enjoy them. This is because colleges look for consistency and consistency is easiest to maintain when you’re enjoying what you do. Sports, music, dance, debating, etc. are very demanding activities that are also extremely time consuming. Such investments are truly only worth it when your heart is in them because then they are no longer a chore, but a passion, and being passionate can in turn improve your performance in them.
You may not always be able to tell just how well rounded your profile is, but to double check, speaking to a college counsellor, whether it be your school’s counsellor, an external counsellor, or anyone else in the industry, should be enough to give you the necessary feedback.
2. Once your profile is in place, you can move forward and ask yourself, “What are the subjects I enjoy?” “Do I get good grades in these subjects?”. These are two imperative questions to answer because they encompass interest and aptitude - the two requirements to ensure success in any endeavour. Research has shown that only a combination of interest and aptitude will yield fruitful results - one without the other will not suffice. Once you answer these two questions, you can start researching the possible career options that figure in with the subjects you may be thinking about studying further. In todays day and age, there are plenty of avenues to choose from.
3. The next question you ask yourself is, “Where do I want to study?”. You can choose to study in your present city, somewhere within the country, or decide to go abroad. A couple key factors that you must take into account, while deciding, are parental parental permission, your budget, and of course, the availability and requirements for scholarships, if necessary.
4. Once all of that is decided, and you’ve shortlisted a few colleges that are within reach, and which fit your criteria, a campus visit is highly recommended, simply to get a feel of the atmosphere, the campus infrastructure, and to see what the life of a particular campus is like, which can be helpful in terms of being a tell as to whether you feel as though you would fit in.
Thus, we see that the college decision process is not nearly as daunting as it is made out to be. All it depends on is finding enough things that you genuinely enjoy and love doing and then pursuing them long enough that they can make their way onto your application. With a little guidance from family and professionals, this whole process becomes a piece of cake.
