College Countdown: Getting Ready for College

College Preparatory Core – Take the right classes: Meet with your school counselor or college admissions representative to ensure you’re on the right track. Students applying as college freshmen must complete a minimum of 16 high school units (year-long classes) in English, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Studies, and Electives.

Meet with your school counselor when setting up your course schedule before every semester and whenever you have any questions about how your path towards a good college is progressing. College Preparatory Core Accepted by UA Little Rock: Take a look at the units that are required for high school seniors applying as a college freshmen.

Cumulative GPA – Get good grades: Has anyone ever asked what “GPA” you have earned? This is your Grade Point Average, and it’s based on your grades. Most schools use a 4.0 scale that looks like this:

• All A’s = 4.0
• All’s B = 3.0
• All C’s = 2.0
• All D’s = 1.0
• All F’s = 0.0

For colleges, your GPA starts mattering during your freshman year of high school. From admission standards to scholarships, your GPA will be a number that may make or break your chances of getting into your favorite college or earning a scholarship.

GPA at UA Little Rock: To get admitted, you’ll need at least a 2.25 GPA (based on a 4.0 GPA scale).

UA Little Rock Merit Scholarships: These scholarships require at least a 3.0 GPA (based on a 4.0 GPA scale).

Develop good study habits. Be honest with yourself. If 10 hours a week of studying can get you Bs, bump it up to 15. Not only does this prepare you for college studying, but it will also increase your GPA.

Ask for tutoring if your grades are slipping. You can also find online tutorials for science, math, and more through Khan Academy. Just reading books, magazines, articles, and more can help you with reading, writing, and English.

Sign Up for Advanced Placement Courses: Ask your counselor or teachers about AP testing to see if you’re ready to take AP classes or sign up for the AP exam. Why take AP? More challenging classes help you prepare for college. If you score high enough on your AP exam, you could earn Credit-by-Exam and reduce your time in college.
If you feel you know enough about a subject but did not take an AP exam, you can take a CLEP exam. The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) offers you the opportunity to receive college credit for what you already know.

Become a High School Concurrent or Dual Enrolled Student: Through the High School Concurrent Enrollment Program, qualified students in participating high schools can earn college credit at UA Little Rock while attending high school. Students take UA Little Rock courses that are taught on their high school campus and count for both high school and university credits.

Ask your counselor or teachers about taking high school concurrent courses. UA Little Rock partners with these high schools, but a local college may offer courses to your school. Taking college courses while in high school is typically more affordable and saves you time later.
If your school doesn’t offer concurrent courses, current high school students who wish to attend classes on the UA Little Rock campus may be considered for admission as dual-enrolled high school students.

Plenty of scholarships and some colleges ask for resumes, and this is an easy way to build one. Here are a few suggestions to get involved:

• Join clubs or teams that interest you
• Find volunteer activities that are good for you and the world
• Find a cool hobby that sets you apart of others
• Look for camps that help you explore your interests

Explore Different Career Options: You can apply for internships or jobs and visit your parents’ or family friends’ places of work. This will help you:

• Gain real-world perspective about jobs and the different types of workplaces
• Find a college you like that specializes in that area
• Choose the kinds of courses you want to take in high school.

A “college entrance exam” is a standardized aptitude test used to evaluate students for college admissions purposes. Simply put, it tests your knowledge and skills in a group of subjects, and colleges use these scores to decide whether or not to accept your and offer scholarships to you.

Examples of a college entrance exam include ACT, SAT, and Accuplacer.

Test Prep Courses: A test prep courses are classes designed to help you with a college entrance exam. Ask your counselor about local college prep courses. These can often be more affordable than online options! Learn on YouTube: Kaplan has several playlists that help you with AP, ACT, SAT, and PSAT prep.

Practice Tests: Practice can help you prepare for the types of questions on the test and soothe your test anxiety. Any time you take sample tests, make sure you spend time understanding why you answered questions correctly and why you missed questions. If you don’t understand why you are missing certain questions, reach out to your teachers or counselor.

• PSAT Prep: Here is a look at the sections tested inside the PSAT and a practice test.
• ACT Prep: Free ACT Test Prep provides free resources designed to help you get the best score possible on the ACT test, so you can be well on your way to college and career success.
• SAT Prep: Here is a look at the sections tested inside the SAT along with practice questions.

Free Prep Resources:

• Read a lot: The more you read, the better your writing, reading and critical thinking abilities will be. Those skills will be crucial for good scores in the ACT and SAT tests.
• Freebies: There are a lot of free test prep resources out there! You can add these to your practice tests.
• PSAT Prep: PSAT has a free prep course on Khan Academy.
• SAT Prep: Here is a look at the sections tested inside the SAT along with practice questions. SAT also has a free prep course on Khan Academy.
• General Test Day Tips: SAT has some great testing tips for both exams. These are focused on strategies to use while you are taking your test.

When researching colleges, there is a lot to consider! Here are some topics to think about as you discover your preferences. We’ve put together questions that will help you figure out what you are looking for in your future college.

Location and Size: Do you want to live in a metropolitan area or a small town? Do you want to go attend a college with a large campus or a small student body?

UA Little Rock is situated in a metropolitan area, so students have access to a thriving city with a diverse culture and exciting activities. As the state’s capital, students have access to internships and jobs in business, government, education, and more! UA Little Rock’s campus is made up of 250+ tree-covered acres, which hosts a medium-sized student body of 9,581 (fall 2019). The student to faculty ratio is 13:1, which gives you access to ask your instructors questions in and out of the classroom.

Available Degree Plans: Which job or career field interests you? What do you want to study? Having an idea of your future after college could help you find your perfect school. Some jobs only require a certificate or associate’s degree while others may ask for candidates with a bachelor’s degree or additional graduate degrees. What is the difference between all of these academic programs?

Academics: UA Little Rock has 100+ degree programs. Our undergraduate programs include certificates, minors, associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. Explore the programs based on your interests and learn about job opportunities each one can offer!

What is a major? What is a minor? A major is your primary academic focus, or the subject most of your classes will surround. A minor is a secondary subject which allows you to explore other interests that may or may not relate to your major.

What jobs are out there? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a handbook for your to explore different jobs and find out more about the level of education required, median salaries, and how fast the field is growing. Knowing what jobs and career fields sound interesting to you can help you narrow down your major.

Campus Life: Do you love joining clubs and organizations? Sports and fitness? Researching and studying? Do you plan to live on campus? There are a lot of ways you can experience life in college! When looking at colleges, ask them what students can do outside the classroom for fun and growth.

Cost: When comparing colleges, cost is a major factor. Tuition is the cost for your courses. Fees are the additional activities and services offered on campus, such as attending athletic events and using health services. Some classes include materials and technology fees as well.
How much is UA Little Rock? Cost can go up or down based on how many classes you take, which classes you take, if you live on campus, and more. For 2020-2021, average tuition and fees for an Arkansas resident is $4,764 per semester. After finding out the estimated tuition and fees for each college, be sure to compare your financial aid and scholarship packages. Knowing the bottom line may be the factor that helps you decide on a college.

Regular Admission and Rolling Admission: Regular admission sets a hard deadline for admission applications. You apply by one date and, if admitted, must accept your decision by May 1. Some major public universities have regular admissions deadlines for fall classes.
Rolling Admission: Apply as soon as you can and within a few weeks you can get your admission decision. This continues throughout most of the “admissions cycle” for a college.
UA Little Rock uses rolling admissions, with deadlines close to the start of classes.

Admissions Requirements: Each college has its own admissions requirements, which are standards used to admit students.
What is the difference between “admitted” and “accepted?” They are the same! Both mean that you have applied for admission and met the standards of the college. UA Little Rock’s approach is non-holistic. As long as you meet our standards for your GPA and college entrance exam score, we’ll admit you. Our philosophy is that we want to be accepting and welcoming to students of any age and background. Take a look at our freshmen standards.

Application Fees: Many schools require students to pay an application fee when submitting your admissions application. Be prepared to pay, or look for opportunities to get it waived. The application fee is $40 at UA Little Rock.
For UA Little Rock fee waiver requests, you can complete a form based on financial need or veteran status. Ask your counselor for help getting a fee waiver if you need one. You can apply for free at the end of your UA Little Rock campus tour or during admissions events.

Essays, Resumes, and Letters of Recommendation:

• Essays: Some colleges require essays for admission, typically with colleges using the holistic admissions approach. Topics could include why you like the college, why you chose your major, explanation of your extracurricular activities, and what community you belong to and how it has impacted you (diversity). Essays at UA Little Rock are only required for some scholarships.
• Resumes: A resume is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments, and it creates a “first impression” of you. Holistic college admissions may also require resumes. Resumes at UA Little Rock are only required for some scholarships.
• Letters of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation is written by someone who knows you well. Letters of recommendation may be required for holistic college admissions as well. How do I get a letter of recommendation? Ask your counselor, coach, family friend, or boss if they would be willing to write a letter for you. We suggest providing them with your resume, which may help them write a quality letter.

Start early! You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year of high school. We suggest waiting until the second semester if you want to follow this plan! Many scholarships have deadlines and requirements for when you can use the funding.

Fill Out Your FAFSA:
What does “FAFSA” stand for? It’s an acronym for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Federal student aid comes from the federal government— specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It’s money that helps a student pay for education expenses at a college, career school, or graduate school. You and anyone who claims you on their taxes will need to work together to fill out this application.

FAFSA and Its Uses:

• Colleges use this information to determine how much aid a student needs. Some scholarships are awarded based on how much a student needs the funding.
• Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation.
• Aid also can help pay for a computer and for dependent care.

Plan to fill out the FAFSA the year before you start college. Not sure which application year or tax year you should be looking at? UA Little Rock has a FAFSA chart that could help you figure this out.

Here are the types of financial aid:

• Scholarships: “Gift money” that is awarded on the basis of academic achievement (merit-based scholarships) or a combination of academic performance and financial need.
• Grants: “Gift money” from federal, state and university funds that are awarded based on financial need.
• Federal Work Study: Money one can earn through Federal Work-Study by working on campus and earning the award at a rate of minimum wage as work is completed.
• Student Loans: Money one can borrow from federal loan programs and outside lenders.
• Veterans Benefits: Benefits received by armed forces members, veterans, or dependents to assist with educational expenses.

Scholarships: Our biggest tip is to just apply! Complete a scholarship application for each college you may want to attend.
Here are the types of scholarships:

• Institutional scholarships: Scholarships awarded through funding available at a college. If awarded, it can only be used at that college and cannot be used at a different institution.
• Private scholarships: Scholarships available through private funds, supported by donors and supporters. Some private scholarships are dedicated to students at a specific college while others are available for students at any school.
• State scholarships: Many states offer scholarships to eligible students who attend an in-state college.

10 Sites to Kick Off Your Scholarship Search, according to U.S. News & World Report:

• Scholarships.com: After you fill out a profile, the site will use your criteria to filter through all scholarships to generate a short list.
• Fastweb.com: Like scholarships.com, the site will find scholarships in its database and email you matches, deadlines and newsletters.
• Chegg.com: Chegg is a textbook website that has a scholarship search function, offering more than 25,000 scholarships. The site also offers online tutors to help students with their scholarship essays.
• Cappex.com: Cappex allows students to search both schools and scholarships, with a database of more than $11 billion in scholarships.
• JLV College Counseling: Jessica Velasco, a former admissions officer, posts scholarships with upcoming application deadlines. Via her blog, Velasco offers scholarship and college admissions tips and advice.
• The College Board: This scholarships search engine provides information on more than $6 billion in scholarships, financial aid and internships.
• Niche.com: Niche pairs students with the scholarships that match their qualifications, with student-friendly categories like no-essay scholarships.
• Your high school website: Local scholarships with no national competition is a great way to find additional money. Ask your high school counselor if your school website doesn’t post these.
• Community foundation website: Like your high school website, families should check local community foundations’ websites, which may also host a list of area scholarships. This could include local businesses, organizations, or non-profits.
• College websites where you’re applying: Don’t forget to look at the scholarships available to admitted students!

Federal Work Study: This federally funded financial aid program enables students to earn money toward college expenses by working on campus. Students may work up to twenty hours a week while classes are in session. Students are paid twice per month on the 15 and 30/31. The rate of pay is based on the minimum wage. The money earned must be spent on educational expenses associated with your cost of attending school.

• Awarded to students with financial need.
• Students work on-campus and are paid as work is completed.
• Funds are limited and most commonly awarded to first qualified students.

To apply for federal work study funds, answer “yes” to Question 31 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, “Are you interested in being considered for work-study?” UA Little Rock Work Study is awarded based on financial need. Eligible students who meet the Financial Aid Priority Deadline are awarded first. As students decline offered awards or choose not to work, available funds are reallocated to other interested students. Learn more about Work Study at UA Little Rock.

Student Loans: Student loans, unlike grants and work-study, are borrowed money that must be repaid, with interest, just like car loans and mortgages. You cannot have these loans canceled because you didn’t like the education you received, didn’t get a job in your field of study or because you’re having financial difficulty. Loans are legal obligations, so before you take out a student loan, think about the amount you’ll have to repay over the years.
As with any loan, be conservative and only borrow what you absolutely need.

UA Little Rock’s Loan Guide is available to help you understand the different loans available through the Office of Financial Aid. View the Loan Guide.

Veterans Benefits: Eligible students can apply for Education Benefits through How to Apply for the GI Bill to activate educational benefits with the VA. When completing the form electronically, we suggest sending your confirmation page to the appropriate office at the college you plan to attend.
At UA Little Rock, the Military Student Success Center is the place to start. We are here to help you with your educational journey. They have created a checklist you can review as you apply for your benefits.

Colleges come to you at College Fairs and High School Visits. This is a valuable opportunity for you to learn more about the college! Here is how you can take advantage of these events:

Meet your recruiter and ask questions. Your recruiter, also known as an admissions counselor, is an admissions staff member whose whole job is helping you learn more about their university. Have questions about academic programs or scholarships? Your recruiter can help you find answers.

If you haven’t been to a college fair or seen your recruiter at your high school, you can connect with your UA Little Rock recruiter here!

Get updates on your admission status. It’s as easy as asking your recruiter about your next steps. You may find that you need to take a quick trip to your counselor’s office to ask about getting your documents sent to the admissions office! Or, they can tell you about an opportunity you didn’t know was available to you, like an exciting scholarship. Even if you think you have everything covered, just go and say hi to the recruiter. It’s worth your time to make a connection with your recruiter, who

Take the Trojan Tour! We have an on-campus tour as well as a virtual tour. Check out your options at ualr.edu/tours.

Campus Tours: This is your opportunity to get on campus and see if it’s a good fit for you. Do the people you meet seem like people you would like? If you have the chance to speak with someone in your major, do they seem like someone you would want to learn from?

Orientation: This is your last chance to see campus before classes begin. Orientation is an event, typically between your high school graduation and first day of college classes, that helps you learn more about what to expect during your time as a student. You’ll learn about different services and resources, meet other students starting college like you, and usually leave enrolled in classes. New Trojan Orientation is a full day of meeting our campus community! Learn about various campus services and resources available to students like academic support, health services, campus safety, living on campus, dining options, and the opportunities to get involved and make the most of your time on campus. When it’s time, you’ll be able to register at ualr.edu/newstudents.

Create an email account just for your college search. You can add reminders to your account’s calendar, so you won’t miss deadlines and fun events!

Meet with Your Counselor: Drop by your high school counselor’s office or make an appointment to talk about college preparation. They can help you choose the classes that will prepare you for college, meet graduation requirements, and find classes that will challenge you.

Get Good Grades: For colleges, your GPA starts mattering during your freshman year of high school. From admission standards to scholarships, your GPA will be a number that may make or break your chances of getting into your favorite college or earning a scholarship.

Keep a List: Remember that resume we talked about earlier? An easy way to put together a strong resume is to keep a running list of all your accomplishments, awards, and recognition. Starting this list now will make it much easier to create your resume during your senior year.

Here is an example of what your list could look like:
– Marching Band: 2nd chair in 9th grade, 1st chair in 10th grade, band captain 11-12th grades
– FBLA Member: Won 1st place in public speaking at the regional competition in 11th grade
– Honor Roll: 9th-12th grades
– Volunteer Hours: 30 hours with the Special Olympics

Meet with Your Counselor: Drop by your counselor’s office or make an appointment to talk about college preparation. They can help you choose the classes that will prepare you for college, meet graduation requirements, and find classes that will challenge you.

Keep Your Grades Up: Completed your freshman year with great grades? Great job! You are building a foundation that will help make the transition to college easier. Even if your freshman year wasn’t the strongest, you have three more to raise your GPA! Ask your teachers or your counselor about tutoring or other websites, apps, or blogs to help you get extra help.

Take a PSAT Practice Test:
You will take the PSAT during your junior year, which could help you qualify for scholarships only available to PSAT test-takers. 

Keep in Touch: Check in often with your high school counselor to make sure you are staying on track! You can also talk to your teachers and coaches for extra support.

Meet with Your Counselor: Drop by your counselor’s office or make an appointment to talk about college preparation. They can help you choose the classes that will prepare you for college, meet graduation requirements, and find classes that will challenge you.

Boost Your GPA: Keep doing well in class and challenging yourself! Take as many AP classes as you can and start a few concurrent classes. These are affordable ways to get early college credit.

Research Career Fields: Learn about different career fields that are interesting to you and see what you need to do to qualify for jobs in those fields. Not only will this help you narrow down colleges, it will help you find narrow down opportunities for clubs, volunteering, and job shadowing that you can participate in before graduating high school.

Build a Resume: You already have a list that you have put together, and you are ready to build your resume. See if there are any areas you could improve, like volunteering or leadership skills. Find opportunities to add to your resume during your junior and senior years.

Volunteer: Volunteering is a great way to show colleges and scholarships what you value. Your values are the beliefs that guide and motive you and can showcase what is important to you.

Keep Up with Deadlines: Every college has different deadlines for admissions, financial aid and scholarships, accepting awards, and more. It can be easy to miss a deadline if you don’t have a way to keep it all organized.

Attend College Fairs: If you have not already begun attending college fairs, start going to them. Grab some information booklets from each college and ask questions about the academic programs and other parts of college that are important to you.

Prepare for the ACT or SAT: It’s time to start practicing for the ACT or SAT! Keep in mind the admission and scholarship requirements for your favorite colleges. Send your scores to UA Little Rock. Use our school codes – ACT 0132 or SAT 6368.
Take the PSAT in the Fall: You can only take this test once, and your scores can qualify you to be a National Merit Scholar or Finalist, which comes with a lot of scholarships.

Narrow It Down: You have a long list of colleges that have caught your eye over the years, and now is the time to start narrowing your list down. Make sure they have the academic programs you are interested in studying, visit them to see if they feel like a place you want to spend four years of your life, and start talking to your support system about your options.

Go after Scholarships: You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year of high school. We suggest waiting until the second semester if you want to follow this plan! Many scholarships have deadlines and requirements for when you can use the funding.
It’s also a great time to learn about the different types of scholarships and financial aid that are available to you. If you start looking at scholarships now, you will have more time to prepare and feel less stressed about deadlines later.

Attend Preview Days for Juniors: Many schools offer junior events to give you a taste of what their school has to offer. It’s a great way to prepare for your senior year and narrow down your choices! Explore is the junior event offered at UA Little Rock. You’ll be able to meet our academic colleges, financial aid and scholarships, tour housing, and more. Find out more about this spring admissions event at ualr.edu/explore.

Summer Break – Tour Colleges: Campus tours typically include a welcome presentation, tour of campus, and meeting with someone in your academic major or college. It’s a great way to see the campus and ask questions.

Meet with Your Counselor: This year, plan to drop by your counselor’s office more often than past years.
At the beginning of each semester, stop by your counselor’s office or make an appointment to talk about college preparation. Make sure all your graduation requirements are being met. Colleges will need your transcript and college entrance exam scores for your admissions application. Let your counselor know which college applications you have completed, and ask your counselor to send your documents to those colleges.

Keep Taking the ACT or SAT: If you aren’t happy with your score or just want to try for a higher one, keep taking the ACT or SAT. Most schools take your final score for scholarships until their deadline. Send your scores to UA Little Rock. Use our school codes – ACT 0132 or SAT 6368.

Put Together and Organize All Important Documents: There are a lot of documents involved in college applications and scholarships! Collect letters of recommendation, transcripts, and anything else required for college and scholarship apps.

Look for Scholarships: There are a lot of scholarships out there with different deadlines! Plan to apply for at least a scholarship or two each week. Don’t forget about the smaller local ones that can really make a difference. Check out the deadlines and requirements for Trojan Scholarships at ualr.edu/scholarships.

Apply to Your Top Schools: Apply early and ask your counselor to send in your academic documents. If you’re ready to start the Trojan journey, you can apply as early as September 1 for the next fall.

Request Letters of Recommendation: Request personal recommendations from teachers, school counselors, or employers. Be sure to follow up with a note of appreciation! 

Fill Out Your FAFSA: Ask your counselor about any local financial aid events that can help you and your parents understand how to fill out the FAFSA. Complete your FAFSA early in case you are selected for verification, which can take some time to complete. More details above in “Finding Financial Aid & Scholarships” under “Fill Out Your FAFSA.”
Don’t forget about Federal Work Study! Your FAFSA will let schools know you are interested.

Narrow Down Your Majors: Once you know your top degrees and career field choices, you can search for major-specific scholarships.

Apply for YOUniversal Scholarships: Arkansas students should submit the Arkansas YOUniversal scholarship application. View the scholarships offered through this application.

Apply for Housing: Many colleges have several options for housing. Apply early for a better chance to get your favorite residence hall! UA Little Rock Housing: Apply for housing after you have been admitted.

Stay Motivated: Ever heard of “senioritis?” It’s a real thing that makes you feel less motivated. Don’t let it affect you; finish strong! Don’t forget to spend time with people who inspire and encourage you! Ask for help staying on track.

Choose a College and Accept Awards: Consider all your acceptance letters, financial aid packages, and scholarships. Continue visiting colleges and talking to your recruiters until you decide. Once you decide, accept any financial aid and scholarship offers.

Meet the Deadlines: Many colleges have deadlines for you to notify them of your decision or to accept any aid.

Sign Up for Orientation: You’ll meet with an advisor, get signed up for class, and be ready to start college! Still not sure about your choice? Use orientation as your last piece of information to help you decide.

Declare a Major: Or, narrow it down to a few. You can always change your major later if you decide it’s not for you.

Graduate! Congratulations! It’s a huge moment in your life, so you should celebrate your accomplishments.

Don’t forget to ask your counselor to send your Final High School Transcript. It’s always needed to complete your admissions file at any school you attend.

Say Thank You: So many people helped you along the way. Whether you send a card or a text or find a time to call or visit, say thank you to everyone who supported you, gave you advice, wrote a letter of recommendation, helped you with your essays, or believed in you. Remind them of how they helped you, the difference it made in your journey, and tell them you appreciate them. Tissues may be required.