1. Plan Your High School Course Selections Colleges care about which courses you're taking in high school. The courses you take in high school show colleges what kind of goals you set for yourself. Are you signing up for advanced classes, honors sections, or accelerated sequences? Are you choosing electives that really stretch your mind and help you develop new abilities? Or are you doing just enough to get by? Electives are courses students may select to meet total graduation requirements. Colleges will be more impressed by respectable grades in challenging courses than by outstanding grades in easy ones. Do your high school course selections match what most colleges expect you to know? For example, many colleges require two to four years of foreign language study. Successful completion of the courses listed in the recommended college prep courses chart are commonly expected of prospective students. Of course, each college and university may have different high school course requirements. Be sure to check with the colleges you're interested in to see what they recommend or require.recommended college prep courses

2. Recommended College Prep Courses English 4 credits of English Mathematics 4 credits of Math (including rigorous courses in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II) Science 4 credits of science (including rigorous courses in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) Social Studies 3 credits of Social Studies (World History/Am. History/ US Govt/ Econ) Career, Technical and 3 credits of either the CTAE pathway, 2 or more credits of foreign Agriculture Education (CTAE), language (consecutive years), fine arts and/orModern Language and/or Fine Arts Health & Physical Education 1 credit (.5 health/.5 PE) Electives 4 credits 23 total credits to graduate from high school. **Student must complete 3 units in a pathway to complete CTAE pathway and take end of pathway assessment; Student must complete 2 years of the same foreign language for admissions to Georgia Board of Regents colleges/universities

3. Applying to Colleges Advice from ACT/SAT about what you need to do when you're applying to colleges. Become familiar with college entrance requirementsBecome familiar with college entrance requirements (USE GA411 to research) You should know about admissions requirements before you start applying to colleges. While particular requirements vary, every college sets some standard for evaluating prospective students. Most colleges look at your high school performance, course selections, and test scores to decide which courses you will be allowed to take. Register for and take college admissions testsRegister for and take college admissions tests (register early and on time) Most colleges want students to take a college entrance exam. Should you test again? Sometimes it's hard to know if you should retake the ACT/SAT test. There are some things to think about when you're considering whether you want to take the ACT/SAT test again. Research and ask questions ; check the college you are considering. Apply to "choice" colleges The application process at each school is unique. Some things remain consistent though, and we have advice to help you through the application process. Top 10 college application mistakes Know common college application blunders to avoid. Counselors and admissions staff share the most common mistakes students make on college applications.

4. Top 10 College Application Mistakes Senior year is hectic, but don't let that affect the quality of your college applications. Take your time, pay attention to detail and plan ahead so you can meet the deadlines. Following are some of the top responses from counselors and admissions staff who shared the most common mistakes on college applications. Misspellings and grammatical errors—This is a big pet peeve of admissions people. Misspellings on something as important as the application shows that either you don't care or you aren't good at spelling. Some students even misspell their intended major. But don't stop with a spell check. Proofread for grammatical errors, too. Applying online, but the application isn't actually submitted—If you apply online, you should receive confirmation that the college or university received it. Confirmation could be an email message, a Web page response or a credit card receipt. Follow through and make sure that your application has been received. Forgotten signatures—Make sure you sign and date the form. Often students overlook that part of the form if it's on the back. Check that all spaces are completed. Not reading carefully—For example, if the form asks what County you live in, don't misread it as Country and write United States. Listing extracurricular activities that aren't—Those that make the list include sports, the arts, formal organizations and volunteer work. Talking on the phone and hanging out with friends don't make the cut. Make sure your activity information is accurate. Colleges may check with your high school. Not telling your school counselor where you've applied—Let your counselor know which colleges you're applying to, and ask him or her to review your high school transcript before sending it to colleges. Sometimes transcripts have errors. Writing illegibly—First impressions count, so take your time and use your best handwriting. It will make a better impression. Using an email address that friends might laugh about, but colleges won't—Select a professional email address. Keep your fun address for friends, but select an address using your name for college admissions. Not checking your email regularly—If you've given an email address, the college will use it. You don't want to miss out on anything because you didn't read your email. Letting Mom or Dad help you fill out your application—Admissions people know if your parents help, whether you have two different styles of handwriting or your admissions essay sounds more like a 45-year-old than a 17-year-old. It's fine to get advice, but do the work yourself.