College GO! Week

Attention students! It’s #CollegeGO season! That means it’s time to figure out what to study, where to attend and how to apply to college so that you can be prepared when the time comes! Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? How about what kind of education you need to get there? This week, our school is celebrating College GO! with activities to help you figure out your college and career plans. Take a personality quiz, learn about the different kinds of degrees, search for colleges in Indiana, or take a virtual tour.

College Application Week #CAW20 is September 21-25! Check out which colleges are waiving their application fees on our website so you can apply for FREE! Learnmoreindiana.org/collegeapps #CollegeGO

While you’re there, be sure to read through the list of things you’ll need before you start your applications. You can use this list to help you gather everything you’ll need. If you’re still figuring out what colleges may be a good fit, set up an appointment with Mrs.Flanagan. You can also start your research using this worksheet.

Many colleges and universities have found ways to help bring the campus experience to you in the form of virtual college tours.

Learn more about what you can get out of campus tours with BigFuture’s Campus Visit Guide here, and virtually tour Indiana schools here (click “show table”).

In order to really get an understanding of your prospective college, you’ll probably need to ask questions. But, how do you do it if you’re not on campus? Take a look at Facebook and Reddit. Each social channel has specific groups dedicated to students at a specific college or university. A quick search on either channel will show you your group options. If you’re on Facebook, look for the freshmen class or new student groups. On Reddit, just search for your college’s subreddit page.

Here is a list of questions to ask:

• Are some majors or departments considered stronger or more popular than others?
• How long are the semesters?
• Are there honors programs? If so, what are they like?
• How would you describe the freshman experience, in terms of advising or any classes that everyone has to take?
• Is there free academic support or tutoring? Is it effective?
• Is there a writing center or academic support offered?
• What is freshmen onboarding like?
• Is there career counseling?
• What kind of internships are available?
• Are study abroad programs available?
• What clubs or other extracurricular opportunities are popular?
• Do sports play a large role on campus? What about intramurals or exercise classes?
• What are the dorms like? Shared or private options? Are there laundry rooms and kitchens available in some spots?
• What about off campus housing? Do sophomores and juniors mostly live on campus, or off? If they move off campus, do they live in apartments or shared houses?
• How is the food in the dining hall? Are there other popular places to eat?
• What are the good hang-out places on or off campus?
• Is there Greek life? What’s it like?
• Is the student population diverse? Any organizations or events to promote and empower diversity?
• Do students stay on campus on the weekends?
• Is there homecoming or alumni weekend? What’s it like?
• Do I need a car?
• What other transportation options are there?
• Is the campus safe? What about at night?
• Is it easy to find a part-time job around campus? Or close by?

No doubt about it, in-person campus tours are beneficial. But there are a ton of reasons why virtual tours can be the way to go, even when health concerns aren’t top of mind. Whether it’s because of COVID-19, trying to stay in budget, or managing multiple campus tours in a little bit of time, taking ‘tours’ online can be immersive, informative, and even fun.

Many promising Indiana students now have the opportunity to take their first steps toward a Purdue degree with the new Purdue Fast Start program. Purdue's partnership with Modern States, a philanthropy and online learning program for earning college credit, provides free courses and textbooks online plus vouchers to pay for credit bearing exams. Passing five courses, the corresponding CLEP exams, and meeting Purdue's standard admissions requirements assures admission into Purdue.

Additionally, Purdue's Fast Start program is a great option for students to take college prep coursework that may be unavailable to them with virtual learning limitations. Learn more about the Purdue Fast Start program here.