High School to College

Identify your strengths, interests, and values to define your personal brand and choose college studies that align with in-demand skills.

Explore the interest profiler, based on John Holland's six career types—investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, conventional, and realistic—to identify college fields and career paths from about 60 questions.

Explore basic career research by using interest profilers, filtering occupations by job zones and education level, and evaluating demand for careers like radio and TV announcer.

Explore hot careers with a bachelor’s degree by using the Occupational Outlook Handbook’s data on job growth rates, entry-level education, and median pay to identify high-demand professions.

Selective colleges rely on grades in college prep courses and high school GPA, among 16 admission factors, with foreign language requirements varying by college.

Explore how grades, GPA, and the strength of curriculum, including honors, AP, and IB courses, shape college admissions, with weighted GPA and the impact of course difficulty on outcomes.

Explore how honors and AP courses impact college readiness and GPA bonuses. Learn about an example AP sequence from ninth through twelfth grade and how AP exams earn college credit.

Explore the International Baccalaureate program, its six-subject structure with core creativity, action, service, theory of knowledge, and extended essay, and how IB credits and recognition support college readiness and affordability.

Compare the PSAT, SAT, and ACT, and learn how standardized tests assess reading, writing, and math for college readiness, including timelines, scoring, and scholarship opportunities through PSAT performance.

Explore why colleges require essays, the difference between Common App and supplemental essays, and tips for crafting a humanizing personal essay that conveys goals and character.

High school grades and GPA drive college admissions, with some states offering guaranteed admissions programs. In Texas, the top 10 percent rule guarantees admission to universities, while other routes exist.

Explore the role of counselor and teacher recommendations in college admissions, what letters should contain, and how students highlight strengths across six dimensions to support applications.

Examine how student demonstrated interest serves as a crucial indicator in college admissions, guiding decisions through campus visits, calls, and applications, and influencing yield.

Explore early decision and early action as college admission tools; early decision is binding and signals a first choice, while early action is nonbinding and offers timely options.

Explore how extracurricular activities and portfolios influence college admissions, using digital portfolios, locker features, and the Common App to showcase authentic achievements.

Explore miscellaneous admissions factors, including college interviews and rising value of work experience. Understand interview formats, whether in person or by Skype, and how family responsibilities relate to admissions.

Navigate the college admission timeline with milestones for 11th and 12th grade, including PSAT, essays, AP exams, SAT subject tests, and college visits.

Explore how college rankings are produced and how different outfits classify institutions. Compare methodologies and outputs, such as placement statistics and internships, to understand limitations and biases in the system.

Compare colleges by outcomes with the college scorecard’s free government open data on earnings, graduation rates, and debt, using filters to focus on cost and value.

Estimate your admission chances by comparing your sat score percentile to college ranges. Use College Navigator and the college search tool to find safe, match, and dream schools.

Understand how the college admissions process works from outreach and PSAT mailers to application review and enrollment, including Common App and Coalition App requirements.

Plan to apply to at least 10 schools on time with buffer days, avoid paid admission programs, meet language and testing requirements, and consider video essays to distinguish yourself.