Five Step College Application Process for St. Louis Park High School

• The Common Application - students apply to more than 900 Common App member colleges worldwide through our online college application platform
• Common Black College Application - apply to any number of 65 HBCU's for only $20
• The Coalition - member schools are united in their mission to support lower-income, under-resourced, and/or first-generation students; to provide responsible financial aid; and to bolster students’ success in college—and beyond.

College Boards Applying 101 - Find out HOW and WHEN to apply to college

• My Higher Ed - information you need to know about preparing, searching, applying, and paying for college in one place. 
• High School Planning Checklists - One page checklists for grades 9-12 to prepare for college.

• How to Make your College List - A guide to researching colleges and making your college list. Use the Make your List Template to fill in your college preferences and find the best fit for you.

• How to Write an Application Essay - Includes helpful tips and sample prompts for college and scholarship application essays.

• College Planning Workbook - This complete workbook was created in Google Sheets so it is easy for you to gather and organize all the information you will need to submit your college and scholarship applications. Available in Spanish.

• Choosing a College - This booklet describes the methods a student can use to find their best fit college in Minnesota. Also available in Spanish, Somali, Hmong.

• College Lists Wiki - a free, publicly available site designed primarily as an aid to US college counselors as they help their students navigate the college search process. The site is a wiki, which means that any college counseling professional with editorial access can edit its content; it is meant to be a collaborative effort. Information here should serve as a starting point, and is likely to be incomplete; please read our disclaimer.  Find Colleges by Major

• Colleges That Save Lives -  a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. CTCL will provide information and the opportunity to pursue a best-fit college to all students regardless of race, color, religion (creed), national origin (ancestry), sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, marital status, disability, military status, or any other means by which a student could be discriminated.

• The College Score Card - US Department of Education

• Guide to College Application Fee Waivers 

• Early Decision vs. Early Action

• Public In-State Universities - University of Minnesota & Minnesota State 

• Public Out-of-State Universities - Historically Black Colleges & Universities (107) 

  • A Guide to the Top 25 HBCUs 
  • HBCU Academic Program Search/Match

• Private Colleges/Universities - Minnesota Private College Council, Dunwoody College of Technology, HBCU Private 

• Two-year Technical & Community Colleges - Minnesota State, Two-year HBCU's

• International Universities - NACAC Guide to International University Admission - PD

• College Autism Spectrum - providing college & career resources & training for students, parents & professionals in the autism community

The College Tour

A TV series brought to you by Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers. 

• The series tells the story of colleges and universities around the world.​
• Each episode of The College Tour will focus on a single college or university.   
• From campus life, academics, housing, sports, activities, and much more… each student driven segment will give young people an inside look at what it’s truly like being a student at the featured college or university.
• Join us for a truly one-of-a-kind series featuring colleges and universities in a way they have never been seen before!

How do I apply to college? Who can I ask for help? How do I find schools to apply to?

MEETING AN URGENT NEED

The Center's work has never been more urgent or needed:

• Today, 1 in 3 undergraduates - nearly 5M students - identify as first-generation.
• Compared to legacy student peers, first-gen students:
  • Have fewer financial resources ($41k median parental income vs. $90k).
  • Pursue college-level education at lower rates (72% vs. 93%).
  • Attain four-year degrees at lower rates (20% vs. 49%).
• Median career earnings of a non-college graduate are $1M less than a college graduate.
• First-gen student population will continue to grow rapidly in the coming years, as the pipeline of first-time undergraduates is heavily weighted with first-gen students.
• Institutions of higher education must shift their mindsets and priorities to better serve first-gen students in order to survive, thrive, and meet their missions.
• Addressing first-generation success has intergenerational impact, as successful college completion is a significant predictor of education, workforce and life success for the families of graduates.

• Accuplacer - The ACCUPLACER is a series of tests that evaluate students’ skills in reading, writing, and math to help college administrators place them in courses that match their skills. Placement testing | M State - scroll to Preparing for Accuplacer - FREE App
• ACT - The ACT is an entrance exam used by colleges and universities to make admissions and/or placement decisions
• ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery - enlistment testing practice tests
• SAT Information
• PSAT/SAT       

ACT introduces super scoring - the process of averaging students’ four best subject scores from all their ACT^® test attempts  - Get the Details

CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization

Gap Year Association

Ultimate Gap Year Guide for Students BLOG

Gap Work, Gap Years, Gap Year Jobs

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