As a high school junior, you’re just one year away from making a significant decision: which college to attend. This decision will impact your adult life going forward. There are many things to consider when choosing the best college for you, from the location of the campus to the choice of your major to the cost of attendance to the feel and characteristics. So many different things go into picking the college that is the best fit for you.

This all may seem scary, so we’ve gathered some advice from graduating seniors. Let’s take a look at their advice. Hopefully, it’ll help ease the transition into your senior year.

 

1. Talk To Your Graduating Friends

Sure, you can find tons of information online about how to prepare and what to do during your senior year. But the best resource will be the one that already surrounds you—the people you know, your graduating senior friends! They will have first-hand experience with the college search and selection process. After all, they were once a junior too, so they should be full of high school junior advice.

They can give you valuable advice about what you should and shouldn’t do. And, because they are currently going through the process, the advice will be fresh in their mind! These are people you know and who know you too. They will be able to give you advice that is custom to you and your goals!

2. Learn From Their Experiences

Some valuable experiences you can learn about from your graduating senior friends are campus visits, tips for writing your essays, college prep advice, and most importantly, what mistakes to avoid!

Do you have a senior friend who visited a college that is on your list too? Ask them for detailed information about the campus. Ask about the atmosphere, students, housing options, dining halls, food choices, and anything else you want to know about the school.

If they had a positive experience on the campus tour, ask them why. Or if they had a negative experience, ask them about that too. Figure out why they liked or disliked it. Just because they disliked it, doesn’t mean you will too. Maybe you have a very different personality than your senior friend, so ask lots of questions to get helpful information.

3. Stay In Touch

You should stay in touch with the graduating seniors who you know are attending colleges that you are considering. That way, during their first year (your high school senior year,) you can reach out to them and ask them how it’s going and about the college freshman experience in general.

If they are at a school you are definitely applying to, you can ask them more specific questions about the college and what you can expect during your first year.

Don’t know where to start to find colleges you may be interested in? College Raptor is here to help. Check out our College Match tool to start building your shortlist! This matching tool takes account of GPA, majors, locations, test scores, and culture to match you to colleges that may be the best fit for you.