Dear College Applicants...

Dear College Applicants,

To my eager college hopefuls, I wanted to give you a few tips for this time of year. By now all your college applications should be turned in, you have sat through the waiting process and by now you have probably already received some acceptances (which I congratulate you on!) and, unfortunately, some rejections.

So what should you be doing right now?

For one, if you have not already completed your FAFSA then get on that RIGHT NOW! This is not something you should wait on! This is free money we are talking about being given to you to pay for your education. College is expensive but you should never have to pay the sticker price. OR, if you are like me and going to a community, you can even wind up getting paid to go to school if you are awesome enough!

Step two: now that you have started getting your decision letters in you should start narrowing down your list of possibles. Go through every factor: campus, class sizes, location, price, EVERYTHING! In the end you can only choose one and you have to start thinning the herd so that you can make that inevitable final decision. Trust me, it is a difficult one because it is a huge decision but, at the risk of sounding cliche, go with your heart and what feels right to you. It is your life and you shouldn't let someone else decide for you...but that is a lecture for another time haha.

Looking back on this time last year all I can say is that I do not envy you. It is a scary time, looking forward to the dread of realizing that you are an adult now and have to act like it. Scholarships, financial aid, and stepping out on your own are all scary steps that we each must eventually take. I know feel like a bit of a contradiction. As the end of my freshman year is rapidly I feel like nothing much has really changed: I'm back at home, I still feel that I am inadequate at being an adult and scared of all the dread that come with it. But at the same time, everything has changed, I have a job and support myself, I have a car payment, go to school and have adult responsibilities.

Life is changing for you guys and all I can say is whether you are prepared or not it will happen. So whether you choose to go near or far it will be hard but it will work out in the end.

Good luck,
Kim