“It’s never to early to start looking at colleges!”
I started hearing this line from just about every one of my family members starting when I finished the third grade. I’d tell them, “I’m too young to think about college!”
None of them much liked to hear that. I thought all of them were being crazy for spurring me on so early (which, to be fair, they probably were). However, my junior year is when I realized that the college search for many of my friends had already started.
Thankfully, I wasn’t someone who was interested in playing a varsity sport, so I didn’t need to worry about contacting sports recruiters (although if you’re interested in sports, that would be a very good idea; that one’s a freebie).
Even when I figured out that I needed to start looking for colleges though, I didn’t truly know where to start. To make sure that you don’t run into the same problem that I did, here are some ideas on how to get started on the college search during your junior year!
MEET WITH A RECRUITER
I had made an impromptu trip to Cornerstone University before, so when a recruiter showed up at my high school asking if there were any students interested in CU, I jumped at the opportunity to speak with her.
And what a fantastic opportunity it was.
My recruiter, Kati, became my point of contact for all things Cornerstone from that meeting forward. She made sure that we were connected so that when I had questions, however small, she was ready to answer them.
The first meeting that I had with Kati, in general, was a chance to figure out some of my preliminary questions, as well as to have a bit of fun. She brought us coffee and donuts, which is a sure-fire way to get my attention.
I’m not promising that every recruiter is going to show up with food, but mine did. In addition, I got tons of questions answered and additional information about what scholarships I could be in the running to receive.
All of this, and you get to skip class to meet with them, usually. What’s not to love?
CONTACT A PROFESSOR
This is a tip I wish I had taken advantage of when I was in high school.
Professors at Cornerstone are busy people that lead busy lives, but in my experience, are usually willing to answer an email from an interested student.
Although I would say that your admissions counselor is your best point of reference for most questions you have about Cornerstone, nobody knows the ins and outs of a department or the information you’ll be learning in classes like a professor does.
In addition to sending an email, maybe even think about seeing if you can meet up with them for coffee sometime if you live in the area.
All of Cornerstone’s staff have a page on our website, so if you are interested in contacting any of them for a particular major or field of study, it is all at your fingertips.
VISIT!
Above all else, the best way for you to get to know if a college interests you is to visit.
An admissions counselor can tell you all day about how nice a college is, but you won’t really know until you experience it for yourself.
Plus, in your junior year, there’s no real pressure to decide on your college of choice yet. You aren’t even close to running out of time for a decision, so there’s no harm in taking your time.
Visiting is my most highly suggested tip for looking for colleges during your junior year because you can get a chance to speak to professors and a recruiter during your visit. You can take care of all the steps at once by simply visiting!
If you’re interested in finding a time to come and check out Cornerstone, make sure to connect with your admissions counselor or sign up for an upcoming Golden Eagle Day!
