What will you do with the rest of your life? The possibilities are endless, but it may feel as though the gap between where you are now and where you want to be is insurmountable. Don't be discouraged … no matter who you are, or what your age or circumstances, there are steps you can take to help make your dreams become reality. Earning a college degree can provide you with the knowledge, tools, and experience necessary to achieve your goals.

The following steps will direct you to IllinoisMentor tools for selecting and applying to the college(s) that best suits your academic and career interests, as well as exploring resources to help you pay for your education. If you are currently in 8th through 12th grade, click on your grade level on the left to also learn the specific steps you should be taking now to plan for college.

1. Start planning - the earlier, the better!




We recommend beginning preliminary college planning no later than the 8th grade, even as early as the 6th or 7th grade, and that students start using the High School Planner during their freshman year of high school.

Regardless of your age, here are tips you may find useful:

• Pay close attention to dates and deadlines.
• To the extent you can while in high school, take as many college-preparatory classes (English, math, science, social studies) as possible.
• Try to take at least two years of a foreign language while in high school.
• Whether through high school classes or elsewhere, become as comfortable and familiar with computers as you can.
• Grades and test scores are very important but, when considering admission applications, many colleges also look for a balance of extra-curricular activities, work, or time volunteered with a community organization.


2. Have a career in mind.


You may not know yet exactly what career path you want to pursue, and that's fine. But, having at least a general idea of what you might want to do once you obtain your degree will help you to pick a college. For example, if you think you want to become a teacher, you can evaluate a potential college based on the reputation of its teacher education program and its placement rate for recent teacher education program graduates.


3. Develop a list of colleges that are your "top contenders."


There are four ways you can search for college information at IllinoisMentor:
• by college name;
• by comparison — use the Comparative View to sort colleges within predefined categories, such as college type, setting, campus enrollment, student-to-faculty ratio, etc.;
• by preference — use the Matching Assistant to locate colleges based on factors you want to consider when picking a college; or
• by distance — use the Distance Search to determine the number of miles an Illinois college is from your ZIP code or city.


4. Visit your college(s) of choice.


Once you've narrowed down the number of colleges you might want to attend, visit them online via IllinoisMentor's Campus Tours. In addition, before making a final selection, it is strongly recommended that you visit your top choices in person.


5. Research available payment options, including financial aid.


No matter how long it will be before you actually plan to attend college, it's never too early to start preparing your finances. The more money you have saved and available for college, the easier it will be for you and your family when the time comes to make that first tuition payment.

Apply for financial aid during the January before you start college (for example, if you plan to enroll for the fall of 2006, complete the financial aid application process in January of 2006). You must complete this application process each year you want to receive financial aid.


6. Apply online for admission to your college(s) of choice.


Remember that in many cases, your admission application may be the only information the college has available to determine whether you have the potential to be a successful asset to the campus community - at the very least, the quality of your application will likely determine if you will be granted an admission interview. Before submitting the application online, or mailing any accompanying pieces of the application packet, be sure to carefully review all items for accuracy, thoroughness, proper spelling and grammar, and legibility. You've worked hard to get to this point … be sure to put your best foot forward!