Time To Apply To Colleges

ANNOUNCEMENT: High school Seniors who plan to enroll in college in the fall who have not already applied for college admission, now is the time to do so. Many colleges are already in a position of selecting those individuals who will receive major financial assistance for their college education, but for most programs, there are still opportunities to be considered for admission.

Although, in general, colleges will review applications and consider candidates for admission into the summer, some of the highly competitive programs may be closing their admissions very soon. So, this should signal the time to begin some action. Also, please be aware that in many cases admission is a two-tiered process. There is admission to a college or university, but there may be a second layer of admission - to get into a particular program. For example, Architecture, Engineering, individual music programs, some computer majors, and others, will require the applicant to meet another group of admissions criteria, beyond what is required to be admitted to the institution. If the student has not done so, now is the time to meet with a guidance counselor to talk about applying for college.

Although some colleges admit all first year students to a general program, many of them require students to declare a specific major at the time they apply for admission. That means that the student should have a pretty good idea of what they plan to study in college and in most cases, that means they need a career-related goal. It is not always an easy decision, but one that students are often required to make.

Many of the high school counselors have access to career-related assessments that may assist the student in identifying a career direction and can offer other resources to assist in the process. Ideally, the student will be able to identify a major that would provide a good foundation - at least in that first year - for a number of different career directions. Additional assistance is available, if needed.


Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice, providing coaching and counseling or life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, grief work, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; recognized as a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is certified as a Distance Credentialed Counselor.
To contact Ms. Davis, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.