Planning For College

Freshman Students

Talk to a counselor who will recommend classes that help you build skills in English, math and critical thinking.
Strengthen your vocabulary by increasing the amount of reading you do.
Study hard and get good grades.
Research college websites to determine admission requirements.
Browse college websites to get an idea of what high school courses are required for college admission.
Keep a record of your academic achievements and your extracurricular activities.
Start thinking about what careers/subjects interests you.
Go to the career center at your high school to explore career possibilities.
Start saving money for college and researching the costs of college.

Meet with your counselor regarding appropriate college preparatory classes to take.
Ask the counselor about taking the PSAT or PLAN.
Sign up for extracurricular activities that interest you.
Keep your academic and extracurricular portfolio current.
Keep studying!
Keep reading!
Discover majors and in-demand careers and education based on your interests! Take our Career Coach Quiz!
Volunteer in your community–this service is a great way to identify or expand your interests and it strengthens your admission profile and opportunity for scholarships.
Continue to explore college choices and think about what is important to you–large or small classes, type of environment (urban, small town), sports and extracurricular offerings, on-campus housing, distance from home.
Continue to explore career possibilities.
To get a head start on college; consider applying to TMCC High School for your junior and senior years.

All the tasks you did as a Sophomore PLUS:

Get ahead of the game and enroll in college classes through TMCC's Jump Start Program. The Jump Start Program allows you to earn both high school credit and college credit at the same time! Tuition discounts are available.
Sign up to take the ACT or SAT tests.
Consider taking advanced placement or dual-credit courses at the local college (your high school counselor has the information on dual credit for WCSD students).
Attend college fairs and recruitment events. Ask your high school counselor about TMCC events.
Continue to research college websites and explore how your career interests match programs offered.
Start narrowing your choices of colleges to which to apply. Consider applying to no more than six colleges.
Use the High School Senior Timeline to start tracking deadlines for submitting applications at each school in which you are interested in applying.
Continue to explore websites for scholarships and other financial assistance opportunities.
If you're working part-time, plan to set aside some college funds each payday.

Get ahead of the game and enroll in college classes through TMCC's Jump Start Program. The Jump Start Program allows you to earn both high school credit and college credit at the same time! Tuition discounts are available.
Review what steps you need to complete to enroll in the college you are planning to attend. At TMCC you can refer to our Steps to Enroll for guidance.
Attend a TMCC application workshop at your high school. Speak to your counselor for dates and times.
Attend a New Student Orientation Workshop!
Fill out the application for admission.
Apply for federal financial aid and scholarships. At TMCC, we have a Financial Aid office to assist you.
Take the ACT, SAT or designated assessment test. At TMCC, another method of assessment is the ACCUPLACER test.
Attend a SOAR Workshop and meet with an academic advisor.
Check your admission status to ensure that there is nothing left for you to do to enroll in the college of your choice. At TMCC, you can check your admission status in MyTMCC.
Register for classes! At TMCC, you can use MyTMCC to enroll in selected classes.
Pay your fees and make sure you check the college calendar for important dates and deadlines. At TMCC, important dates and deadlines are posted online for you to review.