Tina Tran, Div. 863: “What do colleges expect from you (in terms of grades)?”

Wendy:  Colleges expect you to have good grades. However, they are usually looking for a well-rounded student.  Grades play an important factor, but make sure you are joining clubs and setting yourself apart from everyone else. It all depends on where you want to go. For example, some schools do not look at ACT scores, such as Columbia College here in Chicago.  Be sure to take advantage of the classes offered at Lane.  Consider taking more AP and honors classes.   Colleges look at the classes offered at your school and the classes you ended up taking.

Brandon Stanford, Div. 768: “Do you have to pay to apply to colleges? Is it a good idea to just apply to a bunch of colleges and hope for the best?”

Wendy: Most schools require you to pay an application fee; however, if you qualify you may be eligible for a fee waiver.  In order to find out if you are eligible, talk to your counselor or the admissions counselor for the school to which you are applying. If you are eligible for free or reduced lunch you are eligible to receive a fee waiver for applications, the ACT and the SAT.  To answer your question about applying to a bunch of colleges, it is important to look at schools that would be a good fit for you. You do not want to apply to three schools, but at the same time you do not want to be applying to 60 different schools.

Quinn Wright, Div. 764: “What is the easiest way to narrow down the schools we’re interested in?”

Wendy: Try visiting collegeboard.com — they have a section where you can plug in information about yourself and what is important to you in a school, and then they will match you to a bunch of schools. Also check out the Naviance Supermatch and College Prowler.

Margarita Santillan, Div. 874: “When can we start applying for scholarships? How much can they give us? Can they pay our whole tuition? Do we have to take an exam for applying for college?”

Wendy: Almost every scholarship is different, so they all have different deadlines and they all cover different amounts of money.  Yes, some scholarships can pay for your whole tuition, but of course they are going to be a little bit harder to receive. To find out more about different scholarships offered you can check out Lane’s College and Career Center website or you can ask your counselor for more information.  Lane even offers scholarships which range from $500 to $5,000.

Seth Hultgren, Div. 762: “How do you decide if you should take the SAT or ACT?”

Wendy: It all depends on where you want to go. Most schools now take either SAT or ACT or both. The ACT consists of an English, Math, Reading, and Science tests. It also includes an optional Writing Test.  The SAT includes tests on verbal abilities and testing reasoning.   The SAT focuses more on vocabulary than the ACT does. The ACT has a science section while the SAT does not.  Lane is still host the ACT exam and is looking to host the SAT Subject Test (SAT II) starting next school year.

Junior: How do you decide on a school?

Wendy: Make sure you visit schools during junior year because you will not have as much time during your senior year to visit schools. By visiting the school you can see if it is a good fit for you.  Seeing a school in person may change your mind about the school.  I found it helpful to use a website called College Board because they give you information on what you need (ex: GPA, ACT scores) to get into the schools.  College Board also provides you with information on tuition and the average financial aid package offered. Tuition is also something to consider while applying to schools.