What's Next For Admitted Seniors

At this point in the year, most, if not all high school seniors have committed to a college of their choosing and are ready for the next step in the process to prepare for heading off to college in August.

For many graduating seniors that means searching for a roommate on the college facebook pages. This can be a stressful process, so for students not wishing to take their chances with a random roommate should start the search early. Students can go to Roommatesurf.com or post a little something about themselves on the college Class of 2020 facebook pages in search of someone that is compatible with them.

The most important thing to remember when searching for a roommate is to make sure that your lifestyle is about the same. This should mean that you both have similar sleeping and waking up times, athletic styles (athletes rooming with athletes), and similar understandings as far as partying while in college.

Sandra Hunter, Director of Housing at Arizona State University said, "Conflict is a healthy part of a relationship. It can lead to good things if managed early and if talked through and if negotiation and compromise can take place.”

For those wishing to take a risk, you should begin to fill out the random roommate questionnaire where the college you are attending will pair you with someone who has similar answers. This could be a good option for you if you are wanting to meet someone new that maybe has diverse interests compared to your own. It could be a chance to meet someone completely different from yourself.

After roommates have been found, it is time to start planning a date that you will go to orientation. Typically, college orientations involve meeting fellow students, touring residence halls, and registering for your classes for fall. When you go to choose your classes, those with specific majors will be directed to classes relating to that major, while those that are going in undecided should choose classes in many different subject fields to get a feel for what interests them.

This is the point where those that took AP classes in high school and passed the AP tests will hopefully receive college credit and will not have to take many of the core classes. Most public schools will accept all scores from threes to fives, while high profile private colleges may only accept fours and fives, and Ivy Leagues will not accept any AP credits. Whichever situation you may find yourself in will determine which classes you sign up for.

Micha Sabovik, the Assistant Dean at Boston University’s College of Communication said, “A quick 15-minute appointment with an advisor can set you on the right track for the semester and beyond.”

Here you see the importance in getting help when registering for classes, even if it’s just a small effort. When these steps are done, it is time to start looking into the specifics of how you will pay your tuition and room and board (if you are staying on campus). You should determine exactly how much you need to pay each year to attend the school you have committed to. After you have determined this it is time to start looking into applying for student loans or figuring out whichever other way you will be paying for it.

“Every dollar for student loans is a dollar less for other priorities like buying a car, buying a house, getting married, having children,” said Mark Kantrowitz, senior vice president and publisher of edvisors.com.

It’s important to consider the lasting effects that increased student loan debt will have on you and what it may prevent you from doing in the future.

Once you have completed all of these steps in the college admission process, you can rest easy knowing that in just a short time you will be embarking on the rewarding experience of earning a degree over the next four years and making many new friends and memories along the way.