Students consider colleges, explore majors

The time for choosing a college has finally come for seniors. After years of preparation and difficult work, it is now time for students to send in their college applications. Choosing a college can be stressful and many upperclassmen are beginning to feel the pressure. Some students are anxiously waiting to see if they will be accepted into their first choice school, while others are still trying to decide where they will send their applications.

The time for seniors to turn in their college applications has arrived. Karagin Udall, ’17,  already knows what her first choice college is, but knows from experience that searching for colleges is hard.

“I want to go into marine biology because I have always found ocean life very interesting,” Udall said. “I am aiming to get into UC San Diego because it is close to home and they have a really good marine biology program. College research has definitely been pretty intense and I have looked into many so far. College is coming up quickly so I am trying to prepare before senior year.”

Throughout the years, colleges have raised the standards for SAT and ACT scores, which means students are feeling the pressure now more than ever to do good on their tests. Academic advisor Michelle Warkentin explains why taking the SAT and ACT is so important.

“It is very important for students to take either the SAT or the ACT when applying to a 4 year college,” Warkentin said. “Colleges such as Fresno State are currently impacted for freshmen applicants, which means there are many more applicants than what the school can accept. This means that test scores are more important than ever before. It used to be that SAT/ACT scores were not required for students who had a GPA of 3.0 or better. This is no longer the case, test scores are now required for all applicants.”

Glen Wong, ’15, realizes that preparing for the SAT and ACTs is important.

Deciding on a major can be very difficult for students. In fact most college students change their major 2 to 3 times. First students should think about what they like to do (hobbies, favorite subject in school, etc.) Then I would recommend that students volunteer or  shadow someone in a career that is close to that field of study. For example you could volunteer at the SPCA if you like animals, or shadow a veterinarian for a day. — Michelle Warkentin, Academic Advisor

“I took the practice SAT to see how I needed to improve on things,” Wong said. “I practice now so that it will relieve some of the pressure later on. I want to go to college here in California and I realize that the SATs are important.”

For students struggling to decide which colleges they want to apply for, they should consider several things. First they should decide whether they would prefer to stay local or go to college in another state. Making this decision will help upperclassmen narrow down their options. They should also consider what majors they would like to study and then research the colleges that best fit their skills.

Choosing a major can also be difficult for students heading to college. Warkentin says that students should be able to choose a major that they will enjoy.

“Deciding on a major can be very difficult for students. In fact most college students change their major 2 to 3 times,” Warkentin said. “First students should think about what they like to do (hobbies, favorite subject in school, etc.) Then I would recommend that students volunteer or  shadow someone in a career that is close to that field of study. For example you could volunteer at the SPCA if you like animals, or shadow a veterinarian for a day.”

Once a major is chosen, it will be easier for juniors and seniors to choose a college that best fits their personality and interests. It is important that upperclassmen research their college options and make sure that they choose the right one for them.

Many believe high school is supposed to be a time of preparation for college. However, some people believe that teachers are no longer giving students difficult enough tests and quizzes to equip them for the demanding standards of most colleges. Ruben Navarrette Jr., a columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group, recently wrote an article for The Fresno Bee about his opinion on the topic. You can view this article here.

For a related article about how you can prepare for college, view Michelle Warkentin’s article here.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @fikse24 and via email: Mariana Fikse.