To celebrate Discover IU: Senior Week, O’Neill student ambassadors Maddy and Harper share their top tips for high school seniors.
Applying to college while also trying to enjoy your senior year of high school can be a stressful situation. As college seniors, we want to help alleviate some of these stressors with our top tips to make your application and acceptance season a little easier. Here’s a list of advice that we wish we would have been given when we were in your shoes!
1. Make sure your credits transfer!
I know that one thing I was most concerned about was making sure all of my credits were transferable, and I’m thankful that I was able to check. There is a way to see which scores will transfer for which classes, and learning what credit IU awards for AP/IB test scores can be so helpful when looking at which classes you should be taking your first semester here.
2. Take a peek at the classes you could be taking during your time in college.
A little-known fact about IU academic programs is that their lists of required classes are available for anyone to view! This can be super helpful for every student, whether you are set on which major you want, or if you are shopping around and curious about which classes you would have to take for different majors. When I was a senior in high school, I took a look at a few different majors and their degree maps to see what is required, as well as explore what kind of classes I could take!
3. Complete your application by November 1!
You might have already heard this from your high school counselors or college admissions staff, but it’s worth repeating: APPLY BY NOVEMBER FIRST. It is THE deadline for Early Action applications at IU. Early Action applications are non-binding, and they have the highest scholarship consideration. Plus, it means you’ve completed the general application before the busy end of semester and holiday season. So, why wait?
4. Start looking for scholarship opportunities now!
IU offers a variety of excellent scholarships and scholarship programs, many of which have additional application requirements and deadlines. My advice: look through all of the scholarships and programs, determine what you’re eligible for, and make a master document with all of the required prompts and deadlines! Make a note of which programs require additional materials like recommendation letters! O’Neill awards over $1,000,000 annually in funding to undergraduate students, so it’s definitely worth exploring.
5. Attend welcome events
During your senior year of high school, there will be a variety of opportunities for you to come visit Bloomington for a welcome event. There are lots of admitted senior-specific events like Red Carpet Days, Direct Admit Days, and even a Preview Day for your individual school. These events give you the opportunity to not only come and see the campus you’ll be on for the next four years but also can give you the chance to meet fellow incoming students! I still have connections with people that I met during O’Neill Preview Day my senior year, and you also get some cool swag while you’re here! If you live within driving distance of Bloomington, I cannot recommend these experiences enough! (And if you can’t make it in person, don’t sweat it – there are some pretty cool virtual opportunities as well.)
6. Follow IU social media pages!
There are all kinds of great online resources available for prospective students, and one of the easiest ways to become acquainted with IU is to follow the social media pages. There are lots of great Instagram pages for IU and O’Neill specifically, and it is a super convenient way for prospective and current students alike to keep an eye out for events and programs happening on campus (plus, that’s how we find out about all the events with free food). To get started, check out the IG pages: @iuoneill, @iubloomington, @iuadmissions
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