If advancing into college is the next stage of your life after high school (which for some it may not be) preparing yourself along the way is crucial. You cannot just walk into school one day your senior year and fill out a college application and make it work…you have to be thinking about college throughout high school in order to build your college application and make it work to your advantage.

Do Your Homework – Although homework typically does not count towards your grade once you get to college, it is a huge part of your grade in high school. It might surprise you how much you can increase your grades just by getting your homework done each night. In the grand scheme of things, it will help you when the report card comes out to be on the honor roll (or even better in the National Honors Society) and be able to brag about this on your college applications.

Extracurricular Activities – People stress this in high school all the time and talk to you about how important these classes and activities really are. When you are in high school you think these classes are just a waste of time. However, they show your prospective colleges that you can do more than just school work. Engaging yourself in school activities and different classes adds to who you are as a person and can give the college insight into what you like to do. Things like being a peer leader, team captain, on student counsel, writing for the school newspaper, or participating in different sports/clubs can definitely help you out.

Take AP Classes – If you have found your strong suit in high school such as Chemistry, Math, or English…then be sure to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes in order to further your education on a higher level. If it is too easy for you to get A’s in your College Placement (CP) classes, then you should push yourself even further. It will look much better in your application if you are able to show off an A in an AP class! Also, once you take the AP class, you are able to take an AP test in order to earn college credits. Although not all schools accept these college credits, if a school does it can be of great benefit to you and allow you to bypass certain classes in college.

Prepare for your SATs/ACTs – Not everyone is good at taking standardized tests. Everyone is different, but if you have no prepared at all then you have nobody to blame but yourself. You do not necessarily need to spend a ton of money on a class. Even buying a few books and reading through them and taking the tests can help you grasp a better understanding of what these tests will be like. Hopefully your scores will reflect in the effort you put towards preparing for these tests.

See Your Guidance Counselor – Making an appointment with your guidance counselor for them to look over an essay or how you filled out your college application may help you. They will be more than happy to help you with at least one (if not all) of your applications to make sure that they are reflecting who you are as a person and what you have to offer.

You must make sure to think of your college application as a resume that will show schools what your life was like in high school. Thinking of your college applications as your resume will help you understand that the colleges would like to know as much as possible about you (just as an employer would). College applications are extremely time consuming to fill out, but if you have prepared yourself throughout the past four years of high school you will be able to write it down on paper with no problem.

— By Hannah Waters, Geezeo.com

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Graduating from high school is enough to worry about without the extra stress of college applications. However, if college is the next step in your life the applications are just part of the process.

School Visits – College visits are an important part of the college decision making process. If you go on school visits BEFORE you start your applications, this may make it easier to narrow down your search. If you visit the schools before you begin filling out applications, you will eliminate any excess and tedious paperwork that needs to be done. If you apply, get accepted and then visit, you may realize that the school is not right for you. Try this instead: visit, apply, get accepted, re-visit the school to be sure.

Talking to Your Guidance Counselor – Guidance counselors are there to help you more than anything else. They will remind you of application deadlines and make sure you know what each school may be looking for. Make sure to set up individual appointments with your guidance counselor to get a better understanding of the schools and whether you have a good chance of being accepted. Although you may think a school is a “reach” school for you, your guidance counselor may tell you otherwise. Asking questions to anyone who may know the answers will be beneficial to you in the decision process.

Narrow Down Your Search – There are hundreds of schools out there, so which one is really right for you? CollegeBoard.com allows you to put your requirements that you are looking for in and the website will generate a list of schools that may work well for you. Some of the criteria may include location, size of school, public or private, etc. There are endless options you can choose from to narrow down your search.

Scholarships – Scholarships can be extremely important for both you and your parents (if they are paying for your education). Do not overlook scholarships just because you think that you will not be the person chosen. You have just as good of a chance as someone else. You have to make sure you are just taking the time to explain in your essay why you deserve the scholarship and show your true self. Scholarships can help you out the whole time you are at school and not to mention save you some money!

Don’t let applying for college stress you out. You know that it will all get done…you just have to pay attention to what you are doing. Along with SATs and ACTs, college applications are just part of the process. The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can enjoy your senior year of high school. Once you have chosen your school, the next step is choosing your college major.

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Getting a job during high school can be oddly liberating. You no longer have to rely on your parents for money to spend with your friends on the weekend. Also, if your parents do not have the money or will not buy you something expensive, you have your own money to save up for whatever you want. However, there are some things you definitely need to consider before taking your first job.

Do You Have the Time? – High school can be overwhelming. From homework and tests, to extracurricular activities and sports, it is difficult to find the time for anything else. You should really consider whether you have the time to get a job. The last thing you want is for your grades to fall because you didn’t complete your homework the night before because you were working. If you do not have the time during the school year, consider getting a job during summer vacation when you have more time.

Are You Willing to Work on the Weekends? – Many jobs that high school students are able to get are in retail or something similar. Having to work the weekend usually comes with a part time job. If you are not willing to give up your weekends and only want to work during the week, make sure your employer knows this beforehand. However, the weekends might be your best option for not interfering with school so you should definitely consider whether it will be beneficial for you to work at least one day (or night) on the weekend.

Consider a Low Key Job – Working somewhere such as a library or local small retailer (mom and pop store) where you may be able to get some of your homework done after school. At a low key job, employers typically do not mind whether you do some other work during slow times. However, if you do get a job at a similar location, make sure that you ask your employer if it would be okay before actually doing it. Always checking with your employer first is the best practice in any work situation.

Consider Taking an Unpaid Internship – Nobody really wants to do work and not get paid for it, but this could be a really great experience for you. Having work experience in an area you are interested in can be beneficial when you interview for other jobs throughout your college career. Employers may be impressed that you had such great experience at a young age. If you are not desperate for money, an unpaid internship may be one of your best options.

Do You Have a Way to Get to Your Job? – Your parents may be one of the biggest players in you getting a job during high school. If you are not yet able to drive or do not have your own car, you have to make sure you have your own ride to and from your job. Sometimes you can take a school bus route that may run past your job and have your parents pick you up once your work hours are finished for the day. Be sure to check with your parents before applying for any jobs. Also find out what days would work best for them if they have to drive you.

These are just a few things that should be considered before you apply for your first job. It is great to have your own money and a sense of greater responsibility, but it can be difficult to juggle your time at such a young age. Be sure to check out our Geezeo article about 5 Ways to Pay Your Way Through College.

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With unemployment numbers on the rise, it is becoming more and more important to make your resume work for you. You want to put down on paper what you want employers to remember about you. Making your resume interesting and different is not easy, but there are a few things you can do.

1. Include Everything Possible
A resume is meant to be to the point, but you still want to include everything you possibly can. Do not leave something out just because you think the experience is unrelated to a job you may be applying for. Employers might find you more interesting and rounded if you have worked all types of jobs. Do not leave off something such as working in the retail environment just because you might not find it to be relevant. Having a greater variety on your resume could really help show off all your abilities and skills. Some things you should include are your education (including academic honors, awards, etc.), work experience, and skills/interests. If there are other aspects of yourself you want to include, don’t hesitate as long as they are relevant.

2. Be Specific
Making sure you include as many details in your resume is also important. Don’t just say that you worked for xx company, make sure you say what you did there, projects you completed, how you made improved things, etc. Any time you are able to quantify aspects of your job on your resume will be beneficial to you. Something as simple as “counted cash balances in registers at the beginning and end of the day” gives your resume more detail and makes it look more impressive. The fact that your company entrusted you with company money is an important sign of trust.

3. Keep it to One Page
Some people have too many work experiences and other areas of interest to include on their resume which makes it difficult to keep to one page. However, it is best practice to keep your resume down to one page so that your interviewer does not need to flip pages while interviewing you. With all the resume’s that they collect, if they put it in a binder it will be much easier if they are able to see your entire resume and information in one glance.

4. Have Someone Else Look it Over
There are always spelling mistakes and other areas that you may have missed, having someone else take a look at it can be extremely beneficial. If you are in high school or college, your guidance or career counselor will gladly look over your resume and give you some advice on where it can be corrected. If you are able to, in college it is really great to take a resume and memo writing class to help you improve on your business writing.

Your resume is one of the first glances an employer may get of you and could possibly be one of only things they see about you before the offer you a job. Make sure that you are perfecting your resume to work for you in order to get that first round interview that you need to show your true colors. In such tough times with limited job opportunities, you really want to go through several rough drafts before submitting your resume. There are always things that can be changed and perfected. For further advice, be sure to check out What’s Your Resume Worth? and 6 Things to Remember When Applying for Jobs.

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Teenagers are not easy to handle, especially during their high school years. Sitting down and talking to them about what the future holds seems pretty impossible, especially when they don’t want to listen. But there are some really important financial and everyday lessons that you should try to teach your kids before they leave the nest and go to college. It does not need to be a 6 hour lecture, but make sure you are filling your kids’ heads with the right information to get them through those 4 years and whatever their future may hold.

Encourage Personal Finance Classes – If your child’s high school offers a personal finance class as an extra credit or extracurricular class then you should definitely encourage them to take it. Although it may not see as fun as something like a drawing class, it will be very beneficial to them in the long run.

Credit Cards – I know several people who go through college on their parents credit cards and never fully understood how much money they were spending. Get your child a credit card before they leave for college and teach them how to use it. This might sound dumb, but with so many young people graduating with huge amounts of credit card debt, a little simple learning couldn’t hurt. Teaching them the basics about how to pay it off, interest, etc. can help a great deal. Also, if you are worried about your child having too much allowance on their credit card, call the bank and get their limit lowered to an amount that you deem acceptable.

Importance of a Job and Saving – Many people do not work a job before they head off to college. All high school students love their summers off, but I think it is extremely important for younger generations to be responsible for going to work and saving some of their paycheck. Some teenagers love having a job and their own money, while others struggle to actually go to work. They will learn the importance of money because it is their own. It is easy for teenagers to spend their parent’s money and not think much about it, but when it is coming out of your own checking/savings account it is a whole different story.

Paying for Some of Their Own Things – This doesn’t mean you should stop paying for everything for your child, but making them realize that money really doesn’t grow on trees is really important. If you don’t like the idea of making your child pay for things when they are still young, pay them back at the end of each month and have them put that money in their savings. This way you are helping them save and teaching them the value of money.

College is overwhelming enough for a freshman without understanding their personal finances. It is so easy to get caught up in spending and develop bad spending habits early on that soon you could be paying to help your child get themselves out of serious debt. Informing them about some basic financial information can help them understand the importance behind money. In these tough economic times, it is best to be prepared for as much as possible.

Photo: Álvaro Daniel González Lamarque

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