LHS College Information Night
November 21, 2009
Mr. and Mrs. Gene and Nora Reckin provided their expertise Thursday night at Libby High School for students preparing for college. As parents who have been through the process, they wanted to share information about college applications, financial aid, scholarships, choosing the right school, and a wealth of other information.
The Reckins shared some pertinent things to consider:
*The number one thing a student can do to prepare for college is to work hard and really try to do well in school. Take hard classes such as honors and AP courses.
*The difficulty of a student’s curriculum and their SAT/ACT scores are the two most important factors that colleges look at for admission. All SAT scores are now given to colleges; not just the best score as in the past. Taking the tests two or three times is recommended, but more than that is probably not productive.
*For in-state public schools, 175 full-tuition scholarships are given statewide yearly. Grade point average and SAT/ACT scores are considered; class rank is not as important.
*Students should build their resumes beginning as freshmen. Sports, music, volunteerism, community service, being class or club officers and other activities all count toward showing colleges that the student is a well-rounded individual.
*If not required, consider requesting an interview with someone at the college you’re interested in attending. This gives both the student and the college a good indication of what the other is about.
*Seniors – don’t slack off the last semester of high school! Colleges will ask for your transcripts for that last semester, and can rescind offers if they see you’ve not upheld high standards and high grades until the very end.
*College is not easy, so be prepared. Expect to spend three hours of reading/studying for every hour you spend in college. But the rewards are great: college graduates have been shown to outlive high school graduates by an average age of 82 to 75 and outearn them by two times.
*There will be an informational meeting about Flathead Valley Community College classes and the Running Start program January 12. Running Start is a program designed to give high school students college credit for classes taken at the community college.
Maggie Craig, LibbyMT.com
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