If you are a high school student prepping for college, you have plenty on your plate, it is still important to pay attention to what you are doing in high school, since this can impact whether or not you get into the school that is your first choice.

Determine if College Is the Path You Want to Take

• First, decide if college is indeed the path you want to take. In some cases, students decide they want to attend a trade school, enter the military, start a business or enter a family business, or simply get a job straight out of high school.

Maintain a High GPA

• While it can be tough to do, maintain a high GPA during your high school years. If you do, you will have more schools than you ever imagined sending you acceptance letters, offering you a scholarship, and much more.

Take Classes That Will Prepare You for College

• If you decide college is the right path for you, take classes that will prepare you for the educational journey ahead. For example, if your career goal is to be a doctor, emphasize science classes such as biology and chemistry. Also, since today’s society is more and more diverse, consider taking foreign language classes. In fact, the more diverse your classes are during high school, the more prepared you will be for college in general.

Engage in Extracurricular Activities

• Along with being fun, engaging in extracurricular activities will impress any college to which you apply. Whether you are on a sports team, debate team, are a member of your school’s band, or are active in numerous clubs and organizations, participation in activities such as these will demonstrate you are motivated, self-disciplined, eager to try new things, and able to manage your time well.

Research Colleges and Majors

• By researching colleges and majors, you can make wiser decisions regarding your future. For example, do you want to attend a local school, or one far away? Also, which schools have the best programs for your major? By starting as early as your freshman year, you can target specific schools and find out what you will need to do to be accepted.

Connect with Your High School Counselor

• If you have not spent much time talking to your high school counselor, now is an excellent time to connect with them about your plans to go to college. In doing so, your counselor can give you advice on which classes to take, what areas you may need to work on to improve your grades, and which colleges may be best for your career plans.

Take the SAT or ACT

• Prior to filling out any college application, take the SAT or ACT if you are applying to a school where these tests are required. Should you get a high score, this can go far in helping to catapult you past the competition and get you into the school that is your first choice. But before taking the SAT or ACT, spend plenty of time taking practice tests.

Attend a College Fair

• When you attend a college fair, you will be able to learn about many different schools at once. Also, each school usually has counselors, professors, or even students there to answer your questions about majors, financial aid, and the college experience in general.

Visit Colleges

• If you really want to get to know a particular college, schedule a campus visit in person. When you do, you will usually be given a tour by student representatives who are knowledgeable about everything associated with their school. While you are walking around campus, you can get a feel for the area and the students to envision if you see yourself as part of the campus community.

Research Financial Aid/Scholarship Options

• Unfortunately, if you want to attend one of the best schools in the United States, it often costs a great deal of money. Therefore, it is crucial you spend plenty of time researching financial aid, grants, and scholarship options. While you may assume these options are limited, they are anything but. In fact, once you start researching your options, you may find more than you ever thought existed. Also, use this time to fill out a FAFSA form and submit it, since this will give you a good idea of how much financial aid you could expect to receive.

Apply Early

• Finally, apply early to the schools that are at the top of your list. Since thousands of students apply to these schools each year, getting your name in early on can help showcase your academics and other talents.

• While it takes lots of work and determination, putting these tips into practice while still in high school will pay off in the long run. Before you know it, you could have a college degree in your hand from the school you always dreamed of attending.

A growth mindset can have a significant positive impact on academic performance and overall well-being. It can help by:

• Encouraging resilience: Students who have a growth mindset allows them to view setbacks and failures as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than as indications of innate abilities. This helps them bounce back from setbacks more easily and persist in the face of challenges.

• Promoting a love of learning: A learning mindset focused on growth emphasizes the process of learning rather than the end result. Students who adopt this mindset are more likely to enjoy learning and be motivated to explore new ideas and topics.

• Increasing academic achievement: Research has shown that students with a growth mindset perform better academically than those with a fixed mindset. This holds true for many marginalized communities, making a growth mindset an important tool for tackling inequity in education.

• Fostering creativity and innovation: Students with a growth mindset are more likely to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and think outside the box. This trial-and-error process is a key part of a growth mindset. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you are stuck, it is all apart of the growth and learning process. 

• Boosting self-esteem: A growth mindset can also have a positive impact on students' self-esteem. By recognizing that their abilities can be developed through effort and hard work, students are less likely to feel discouraged by setbacks or compare themselves unfavorably to others.

• Enhancing problem-solving skills: Students with a growth mindset are more likely to persevere in the face of challenges and seek out new strategies and solutions. This can help them become more effective problem-solvers both inside and outside of the classroom.

• Encouraging the power of "yet": Growth mindset switching the vocabulary to foster growth and learning. Adding the word "yet" to the end of statements such as "I can't do this" will allow students to highlight the possibility of achievement rather than shortcomings or setbacks. 

Community Resource Highlight: Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC)

What is the Kentucky Housing Corporation?

Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) invests in affordable housing solutions by offering programs and services designed to develop, preserve, and sustain affordable housing throughout the state.

Kentucky Housing Corporation's (KHC) housing programs meet the unique needs of many Kentuckians who are unable to acquire housing easily, including low-income, homeless, special needs, and other populations. KHC works to ensure these programs serve Kentuckians in the most effective ways possible. 

What services do Community Action agencies provide?

KHC receives funding for administering federal programs, including rental assistance that makes quality housing available to more than 27,500 low-income Kentuckians. Other programs offered by KHC include rental housing financing, including administering Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, homeownership education/counseling, housing rehabilitation, homeless programs, home energy and repair initiatives, as well as loan servicing.

KHC Contact Information
Kentucky Housing Corporation
1231 Louisville Road
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-6191

502-564-7630
502-564-7630 x561 - Español
Toll-free in Kentucky: 800-633-8896; TTY 711