As you continue through high school, plans after school may differ for each person. Some may pursue technical school, and take a gap year, while others pursue college to further their studies. This article will discuss the college transition process, particularly for first-generation in their family. 

Undoubtedly, first-generation or not, the application and transition process is immensely stressful and confusing for everyone; however, when you’re the first one to pursue college in your family, the entire thing is an entirely new experience. So, here are some steps to help ease that process.

STEP 1: NARROW YOUR LISTS

There are millions of universities everywhere, and simply choosing one seems complicated if you don’t have one in mind. Before you enter senior year (or even senior year), make sure you have compiled a list. Once completing that list, try to narrow down your list to less than ten colleges. One way to do this is to figure out your major (don’t freak out if you don’t have one in mind!) Regardless, if you do have a significant/area of interest in mind, figure out what colleges fit your major the best and begin to narrow down your list based on 

1. Major/field of study
2. Price
3. Location
4. Living costs, transportation, and traveling back and forth during holiday breaks
5. Emotional support

If you are undecided, compile a small list of three to four safety schools. Safety schools are “easy” colleges that you’re highly likely to become accepted despite any requirements or stats. Your priority safety school should still support your area of interest, yet make sure it is genuinely a school you envision yourself attending. Afterward, compile another shortlist based on price, location, living costs/etc., and what emotional support you’ll have during this journey, especially if you plan to go out of state. Going out of state is terrifying for first-generation college students as they only have a little experience beforehand, and the college experience is overwhelming. Hence, it’s crucial that no matter where you attend, you must maintain a healthy, emotional support group that you can rely on–whether it be friends or family.

STEP 2: RESEARCH!

Researching the schools is the most important. If you possess the means, it’s good for students to schedule a tour, so you can get questions answered, witness the environment, and determine whether the school is a good fit for them. If not possible, try to attend virtual tours/meetings, navigate the website, and go through online student forums to get a gist of what that college would be like. Additionally, it would help if you researched what classes you will need to take for your major, the requirements for admission, and what the school is looking for in terms of student diversity, academics, and so forth.

Remember that not all schools care about your GPA and SAT/ACT scores. Generally speaking, more schools discourage students from simply focusing on grades but on activities and growth outside the classroom, such as clubs, volunteer work, and internships/work experience, as they build more character. However, this doesn’t mean your GPA and SAT/ACT scores don’t matter. They do! In regards, colleges tend to focus on how academically rigorous your classes are, not just the grade (but still try to maintain them!). For example, taking an IB or AP class on a particularly challenging subject to receive a B will mean something other than the end of the world since the course was difficult. 

Eventually, through intense research of your school, you can see whether you would be a good fit and if you have a chance of admission. Moreover, there are hundreds of online sites to calculate your probability of access, yet rely on these sparingly as the college admissions process varies yearly. 

STEP 3: COLLEGE ESSAY

Luckily, in Chatfield, many senior English classes dedicate a chunk of class time to work on college essays and applications to receive feedback. Use this time wisely! Choose a meaningful, unique topic that shows growth/character development. Using cliches or general topics may appear too normal for colleges, so try to branch out and think of a personal experience you can build upon. 

Also, many students think they need to “trauma dump” in their essays, but the reality is that colleges and universities don’t pity you. This doesn’t mean they don’t care about your experience, though. They want to see how you overcome this obstacle and demonstrate how much growth you’ve achieved. Make sure you discuss with your teachers what to write in your essay and get feedback from as many peers and educators as possible. It’s essential to have input as you can craft a critical piece of writing.

Keep in mind that some colleges don’t require an essay, though! Not all colleges require pieces like community college; therefore, you must research the schools you’re applying to before you write a bunch of essays. Additionally, some colleges will require more than an essay but short-answer reports.

STEP 4: SCHOLARSHIPS/FINANCIAL AID

Money is one of the most critical factors when evaluating your university choices. Let’s break it down into sections: application fees, financial aid, scholarships, and tuition. 

Application Fees

Depending on your financial means at home, when applying for a university, there will be an application fee to pay order to apply. Yes, this seems absurd, but luckily, in the state of Colorado, we have free application days for all Colorado state schools. Use this time! Figure out what days are free application days, and make sure you have all the materials you need before those dates to avoid overwhelming stress. If you’re on FREE AND REDUCED, there’s a likelihood that you’ll prevent application fees, yet it’s still good to check in with a counselor to ensure fee waivers.

Financial Aid

FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Student Aid, is one of the most stressful and semi-straightforward applications. Make sure you apply to FAFSA as soon as possible since universities require them once you submit your application to determine your price of attendance. 

“What if I don’t know how to fill out the FAFSA form?” 

• How to fill out FAFSA 
• How to complete the FAFSA form 
• What you need for FAFSA 

These three articles, published by the organization, FAFSA themselves, talk about the necessary steps, tools, and a tutorial to fill out your FAFSA form. Each family varies in their situation so it may be a highly stressful and intense process. Take a breather. It’ll be okay. Make sure that you fill it out when the application opens around Fall. Markdown deadlines for anything on your calendar or planner, so you can ensure you won’t miss anything essential.

Scholarships

For scholarships, there are two types: private and public. Public ones are typically awarded by universities, granting you money based on your academic merit. Private scholarships are generally funded by nonprofit organizations such as the Boettcher or Daniels fund. However, numerous private scholarships range from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand dollars. It varies, yet it’s essential to start applying for them as soon as you enter high school. 

You don’t have to be a senior! You can begin applying for scholarships right when you become a sophomore, some even first year. However, some scholarships require essays, so keep some free time! Also, some scholarships are awarded based on family income, identity, race, or sexuality. It’s essential to keep these things in mind when applying.

Any scholarship or foundation that makes you submit or pay fees before using it should be noted as a scam. Also, you should never have to pay or submit fees when applying for a scholarship; they should be paying you! Here are two websites that’ll help you find scholarships:

• https://www.scholarships.com/ 
• https://www.salliemae.com/college-planning/college-scholarships/types-of-scholarships/scholarships-for-high-school-seniors/ 

Tuition 

Finally, your college tuition. For most colleges, it’s possible to estimate your education based on a college tuition estimator on said university’s webpage. If not, your education will mainly be broken down into 

• Public scholarships (merit-based scholarships)
• Financial Aid
• Private scholarships
• Work-based scholarships (working at the school in exchange for an amount of money that goes towards your tuition)

These main three will be included to determine your price of attendance, meaning how much you’ll be paying to attend and study at the university. However, this can vary depending on how many college credits you will take during the semester. Keep in mind that you’ll also be considering other financial factors, such as:

• Living expenses (food, housing, bills, transportation)
• Books
• Fees

Therefore, it’s essential to make sure that you keep in mind all of these things to ensure your best financial future. 

STEP 5: APPLYING

Typically, at Chatfield, counselors, and teachers will walk you through the college application process. Here are the necessary steps:

1. You are making your CommonApp account. This account will allow you to apply to colleges in a simple format. In CommonApp, most students use personal emails. Remember that NOT all schools use CommonApp and will make you apply through their application accounts/websites.
2. Linking your CommonApp to Naviance. 
3. You are using Naviance. On Naviance, you’ll be able to find scholarships, send transcripts, research schools, and submit letters of recommendation. 

Letter of Recommendation

You may or may have yet to hear of seniors frantically trying to get letters of recommendation from teachers at the beginning of the school year. Not all colleges will require a letter of recommendation, so research schools thoroughly or ask your counselor for assistance. 

Letter of recommendation is letters from teachers, coaches, work bosses, or counselors in your life besides family and friends that enable schools to get a better picture of you as a student and person. Some schools require a letter of recommendation from a teacher and counselor.

When asking your advisor, ensure you give them a few weeks’ notices before asking, as they’re customarily hounded by hundreds of other students that may need their letter of recommendation. In regards, it’s essential to send a thank you note or gift afterward for taking time out of their busy schedule to write you a letter. 

For students who struggle to find a teacher, sometimes, your letters of recommendation don’t necessarily have to be from a teacher, but someone such as a coach or work boss could work. Yet, submitting these letters may be more difficult as they may have to digitally or physically send copies to the university. Hence, building relationships with your educators throughout your high school career is essential. For more information, ask your school counselor.

STEP 6: THE WAITING GAME

After all of your hard work, you’ll come to find that you’ll have a massive waiting period before hearing back from your university. Keep in mind that the time you apply will matter. There are different types of applications:

• Early Action
• Early Decision
• Regular Decision
• Deferred/Late Decision

Early Decision: you will apply, but if accepted, you must commit to the school. 

Early Action: you will apply early, but if taken, you can use other schools if you wish.

Regular Decision: standard deadline

Deferred/Late Decision: you have a higher chance of no acceptance or being on a waitlist. 

Applying early may enable you to hear back from schools way earlier than regular decision students. Additionally, early decision and action acceptees can receive more financial support from the university than everyday decisions. However, this may vary based on each student and university. Make sure you keep note of deadlines and when you should be hearing back–generally posted on the university’s webpage.

Also, email your university’s college admissions officer with questions about the process.

STEP 7: GOT THE LETTER

Finally, you received a letter! This may look like a waitlist, rejection, acceptance, or CAP’d letter. Despite the result, you have placed a lot of work into this. Keep going even if you aren’t accepted into your dream university. You have made it far. 

Now, if you are accepted, you will receive a range of information, including your financial aid package, housing information, more scholarship opportunities, and any additional information about the college.

For the majority, it’s best to break down your college choices and wait for safe schools to hear back before committing. However, each school has a deadline to save before your admission letter expires. Hence, still keep in mind essential deadlines. 

FINAL

Be proud of yourself. You have accomplished so much, and despite your plans after high school, you have worked hard to get where you are now. Don’t feel discouraged if you were rejected or waitlisted. 

In actuality, if you were rejected or waitlisted, you can appeal through an email/essay against their decision. Nonetheless, this only applies to some schools because some schools decline admission because of external factors. 

Whether you attend community college or a prestigious university, Chatfield’s counselors and staff are here to help you. We are so proud of the things Chargers have in store, so keep on Charging!