When transitioning from high school to college, there’s a lot to consider. There are deadlines to track, forms to complete, and decisions to make. To help provide guidance, MEFA interviewed high school students throughout Massachusetts about their journey to college. Students shared their experiences in the hope that it may help other students as they go through the process.
In the videos, students discussed how they decided they wanted to apply to college and how they prepared for college throughout high school. Sammy, from New Bedford High School, discussed how her family’s encouragement made her want to attend college at an early age.
Students also reviewed the process of applying to college, including completing college applications, filling out the Common App, writing the college essay, participating in college interviews, and requesting letters of recommendation. Students explained how they narrowed down which colleges they wanted to apply to and how they built their college list. Kelly, from Lawrence High School, spoke to how taking a campus tour helped solidify her first-choice school, while Alison, from Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, discussed the questions she asked on her tours of colleges to gather information.
Along with applying to college, students also walked through the process of applying for financial aid, including completing the FAFSA and taking cost into consideration when selecting a school. Brianne, from West Springfield High School, discussed how financial aid played a role in deciding which college to attend. Students also talked about the various ways they planned to pay the college bill. Elviana, from Lawrence High School, explained the process of applying for additional scholarships.
MEFA Pathway, MEFA’s free college and career planning tool, also helped students as they explored college options. Maggie, from West Bridgewater High School, explained how the College Search feature helped her discover schools that offered the major she wanted. Nick, from West Bridgewater High School, discussed how MEFA Pathway was helpful for gathering information on colleges that were too far away for him to tour in person.
Students also shared how they made the final decision on where to attend college and what factors played into their choice. Yireliz, from New Bedford High School, gave her advice to current high school students on how to make the final decision.
You can view all of the videos in the Journey to College series on MEFA’s YouTube playlist. And if you have any questions about the college process, contact MEFA at [email protected].
