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I'm worried I won't get into college. What else do I need to do?



QUESTION: I know this might sound stupid, but I'm lost and confused. I'm entering the 10th grade this fall and I'm already worried about college. No one in my family has been to college so I have no idea what to do. My current GPA is a 4.875 weighted, and I’m ranked first in my class. I was vice president of my freshman class last year, am a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and German club. I'm not good at sports, so how can I overcome that disadvantage? What should I do to make my next three years in high school less stressful?
–Sophomore with Ulcers

Dear Sophomore With Ulcers: Whoa, let’s take a step back. You say you don’t know what to do for college, but the truth is you are doing everything right. It’s apparent from your grades that you are committed to your schoolwork. You’re involved in a number of extracurricular activities. You’re well on your way. Continue to stay involved in activities and take on more leadership roles. Start researching colleges by reading college directories, visiting their campuses or websites, and speaking with students who go there. Make an appointment with your advisor to discuss your goals and ask for additional suggestions about what you can do. Discuss your plans with your parents to develop a strategy for saving. Don’t worry about your lack of talent in sports (we were inept at anything that involved a ball or net). Colleges will see that you have many other talents to bring to their entering class. Tone down the stress because you are already doing great—keep it up!


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Gen & Kelly Tanabe

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the founders of SuperCollege and the award-winning authors of 11 books on college admission, financial aid and scholarships. Together they were accepted to all of the Ivy League colleges and won more than $100,000 in merit-based scholarships to graduate from Harvard debt-free.