To our Rosary Juniors, this one’s for you! I’m sure all the college talk has been pretty intimidating, but don’t fret! The Royals of 2024 have your back.
Here are three top tips to help you with your college journey, brought to you by Rosary Seniors.
- Get an internship or take an academic program over the summer.
Reflecting on her most recent internship, Sara Garcia ‘24 shared: “I’ve done architecture programs for the last two summers, which I feel prepared me for submitting my portfolio to colleges. I’d recommend doing summer programs, especially if they prepare you for what you’re going to major in. They’re also a great way to form good relationships and expand your network with people your age.”
To find an internship right for you, first determine a major or college you’re interested in. Many colleges have summer programs you can look into and talk to your counselor to see what might be best for you! For example, UCLA has some summer programs where you can take classes catered to your interests while getting a feel for the campus. You also get a feel for the college experience by dorming and having roommates. Usually, colleges post these opportunities on their social media; you can view them on the college’s website.
- Have a rough idea of where you want to go for college.
In terms of her planning experience, Lianna Enright ‘24 said, “Try to have a rough list at the end of the summer of colleges you want to go to.”
Having a rough list of where you want to attend by the end of your junior summer is helpful so you can begin the process of talking with a counselor about any questions. Going into senior year without at least an outline of where you’re headed can get stressful. Logistically, having a list beforehand gives time to think of whether you want to go out of state, public or private, etc.
Resources that can help find colleges suited for you include websites like my.appily.com, which can help you choose colleges based on your interests. It asks your preferences on population size, which majors you’re interested in, how far you would like to travel for school, and more.
3. Make a brag sheet
Update and create what I like to call a ‘brag sheet.’ Add activities, special classes, internships, projects, or anything you think would be impressive to colleges. Organize accomplishments and keep track of all the work you’ve been doing.
You can also add letters of recommendation from club moderators you have worked with to help strengthen your brag sheet!
Sofia Salazar ‘24: “Keeping track and writing down all my extracurriculars makes things so much easier when it comes to talking with my counselor about what attributes I can tell colleges about.”
Brag sheets are there to help remind you of all the amazing things you have done, so colleges can know everything you are totally great at.
I hope these tips will help to make your path in college planning easier, and good luck to all the juniors and seniors on their college journeys!
