1. Plan for college beginning in 9th grade.
The University of Southern California's "Preparing for College Guide" offers detailed descriptions of what students need to do at each grade level to be a competitive applicant. The CSU Planning Guide offers similar recommendations.
2. Check admission requirements.
The California State University requirements and the University of California A-G requirements should guide the courses that you take in high school.
3. Develop a list of colleges to apply to.
These are helpful resources to guide your college search:
- U.S. News College Rankings provides a list of the top colleges.
- CAcolleges.org is a search enginge for colleges in California.
- The Princeton Review is a search engine that allows you to set the parameter (your interests, majors, public or private school, size, etc.) and then gives you a list of schools that fit your profile.
- My College Options is a search engine that matches your interests with colleges that fit those interests.
- CampusTours.com provides prospective students wit ha virutal tour of hundreds of college campuses. It is a great way to get a feel for the campus that might be too far away for a weekend drive.
- Landmark College is designed to help those with ADHD and learning disabilities get their associate's degree and gain the tools to advance their education to a four-year school.
4. Complete your college application.
After you have decided where you want to apply, you need to complete the applications:
