College can be fun.
Senior year of high school... just try to get everything done early. Start nowww (even before the school year starts). Pick like eight schools you want to apply to, look at their average GPAs and SAT scores to see how well you stack up (US News College Rankings, Princeton Review, College Board, are good places to start). Aim high: maybe three "Reach" schools, three "Good Fit" schools, and a couple of "Safe" schools. Read about them, look at their websites, try to imagine yourself there, their cities/towns, their particular academic programs, etc. Pick your favorite reach/dream school and get ready to apply to it through "Early Decision," which can really help your chances. This will mean having everything done in the next couple of months (deadline is usually in October). (I was lucky and got into my top choice school through Early Decision... only had to fill out one application! :D) Ask for your recommendation letters ASAP (like, first week of school) from junior-year teachers whom you connected with and who liked you. Look at your applications to get an idea of what kind of essays you'll need to write, and start writing them, like, now. You want to write the essay one day, and then come back to it, reread it over and over and touch it up over several days. (Bad idea: I wrote mine on the last possible day and hit send on my app just about an hour before it was due). Try to show how interesting, creative, unusual, entertaining, and intelligent you are on your essay. (And be sure to answer the question in the essay prompt.) The point of the essay is to make you stick out from the general stack of applicants.
Don't be afraid to go somewhere far away from home, if you want that... I did, and I think it was the best decision I ever made. Independence can be really liberating and empowering.
Apply for financial aid on your applications... you'll need to ask your parents for a bunch of papers on this, or they will handle that part of the app themselves. As for outside scholarships, it *might* be worth looking around a little on websites like Fastweb.com, but the awards tend to be kind of small in comparison with the time and effort you have to devote to them. Unless you qualify for big scholarships like Gates Millennium, I personally wouldn't spend too much time on outside scholarships... just be sure your financial aid app, FAFSA, etc. are all in order, ahead of time.
On academics: don't let your parents determine your future... this is your life. Explore, have fun, take electives in all different fields that interest you... You have plenty of time before you have to commit to a major. Most colleges will require a couple years of general education/foundation/core classes before you get locked into a major. And even once you have a major, it's not necessarily a life-altering thing (talking about the US here): I graduated last year with a BA in Economics and Political Science, ended up working with a law firm, might do Peace Corps next year, and after that, I'm still undecided on whether I want to become a policy analyst, a paramedic or an electrical engineer. It's never too late to change what you wanna do with your life.
College life: if you're shy and averse to introducing yourself to new people (I am), you should make an effort to force yourself into social situations (I didn't). Join clubs, go to events, walk up to and chat with people at random, anywhere, at any time. They won't mind. Note: During orientation, everyone is freaking out and acting irrational/unlike themselves, so don't be surprised if the people you meet during that first week or so don't necessarily end up being who you thought they were/don't end up being your long-term friends (not that they can't be). Find people you REALLY LIKE hanging out with, and don't settle for less. The better friends come from places of common interest like classes, clubs, activities, your dormitory/residence hall, etc.
PM me any time with questions. I'd be glad to help.
Good luck, and keep us updated! :kawaii:
