Starting Your College Journey

Course Description

In this course, you will be guided through the first and arguably most crucial part of your college journey… the start. This course aims to give you the necessary tools to analyze your college preferences and therefore build a sufficient and personalized list of colleges. 

In lesson one, you will tackle the first part of this process by identifying some of the most common foundational categories for different types of students in this process. You may find yourself to be driven by substantial push/pull factors, and following the first lesson, you will be able to make specific connections between your needs and the colleges best suited for you.

In lesson two, you will learn how to build a concise and personal list of colleges based on your schools of interest. This will include an overview of how to create a balanced list with different types of schools (target schools, safety schools, and reach schools) and give context and resources for how to find the perfect school for you based on your non-negotiables from lesson one. Also, students will learn how to build connections with their colleges of choice to make a long-lasting impression on the admissions offices and stand out as individual applicants. 

Learning Outcomes

• Students will learn how to analyze their preferences
• Students will be able to identify non-negotiables and deal breakers
• Students will be able to identify their target, reach, and safety schools
• Students will learn how to make a good impression on the admission offices

Course developed by Angel Prasad & Nicole Crawford

Sources:

Frank, Robert, et al. The Best Value Colleges: 75 Schools That Give You the Most for Your Money. Penguin Random House LLC, 2020.

Jacobs, Lynn F., et al. The Secrets of Picking a College (and Getting In!). John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

Jager-Hyman, Joie. B Grades, A College Application: How to Present Your Strongest Self, Write a Stand-out Admissions Essay, and Get into the Perfect School for You. Ten Speed Press, 2013.

Frank, Robert, et al. The Princeton Review: The Best Value Colleges. Princeton Review, 2014.