How to Prepare for College | Undergraduate Admission

<!doctype html> <html lang="en"> <head>  <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K688B36F');</script>   <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-3143082-1"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-3143082-1'); </script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-VXKE3G031J"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-VXKE3G031J'); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(c,l,a,r,i,t,y){ c[a]=c[a]||function(){(c[a].q=c[a].q||[]).push(arguments)}; t=l.createElement(r);t.async=1;t.src="https://www.clarity.ms/tag/"+i; y=l.getElementsByTagName(r)[0];y.parentNode.insertBefore(t,y); })(window, document, "clarity", "script", "l493egzvjp"); </script>  <script> function setCookie() { document.cookie = "gtcookie=true; expires=Thu, 18 Dec 2030 12:00:00 UTC; path=/"; document.getElementById('msgbox').style.visibility='hidden'; } function getCookie() { let name = "gtcookie="; let decodedCookie = decodeURIComponent(document.cookie); let ca = decodedCookie.split(';'); for(let i = 0; i < ca.length; i++) { let c = ca[i]; while (c.charAt(0) == ' ') { c = c.substring(1); } if (c.indexOf(name) == 0) { return c.substring(name.length, c.length); } } return ""; } function checkCookie() { let user = getCookie(); if (user != "") { document.getElementById('msgbox').style.visibility='hidden'; } else { document.getElementById('msgbox').style.visibility='visible'; } } </script>  <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:400,700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto+Condensed&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Abel" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/all.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/bootstrap.min.css">  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/css2.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/timeline.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/mobile.css"> <meta name="description" content="Start preparing for college by exploring your interests and what you want out of a higher education experience. Discover our resources and information designed to help you prepare for college."> <title>How to Prepare for College | Undergraduate Admission</title> <noscript> Your browser does not support JavaScript! </noscript> </head> <body onload="checkCookie()">  <noscript> <iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-K688B36F" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe> </noscript>   <div class="container-fluid bg-gold-grad py-4"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-3 col"> <a href="/"> <img class="img-fluid" src="/images/gt-logo-oneline-white.svg" alt="GA Tech Logo"> </a> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col text-right"> <button class="navbar-toggler d-lg-none text-center" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNav" aria-controls="navbars" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"><i class="fas fa-bars" style="color:#fff; font-size: 2.0rem;"></i></span><br> <span style="font-weight: 600; font-size: 1.0rem;">Menu</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container pt-2 page-title"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <h2>Undergraduate Admission</h2> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="container pb-2" id="main-nav"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light nav-padding"> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav"> <ul class="navbar-nav mr-auto"> <li class="nav-item active"> <a class="nav-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="nav-item active"> <a class="nav-link" href="/prepare-for-college">Prepare for College</a> </li> <li class="nav-item active"> <a class="nav-link" href="/academics">Academics</a> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarDropdown" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> Visit </a> <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown"> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/visit">Visit Georgia Tech</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/visit/prepare-for-visit">Prepare for Your Visit</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/visit/explore-atlanta">Explore Atlanta</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/virtual-visit">Virtual Visits</a> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarDropdown2" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> Apply </a> <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown2"> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/first-year">First-Year Admission</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/transfer">Transfer Admission</a> <div class="dropdown-divider"></div> <p class="dropdown-header">International Applicants</p> <a class="dropdown-item dropdown-sub" href="/international/first-year">International First-Year Applicants</a> <a class="dropdown-item dropdown-sub" href="/international/transfer">International Transfer Applicants</a> <div class="dropdown-divider"></div> <p class="dropdown-header">Other Programs</p> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/dual-enrollment">Dual Enrollment</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/nondegree">Non-Degree Programs</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/62-and-older-program">62 and Older Program</a> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/school-counselors">Counselors</a> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarDropdown3" role="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> Contact Us </a> <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown3"> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/contact">Contact Us</a> <a class="dropdown-item" href="/apply/documents">Submit Documents</a> <a href="https://application.gatech.edu/register/gtinfo" target="_blank" class="dropdown-item">Join Mailing List</a> </div> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/" target="_blank" class="nav-link">Blog</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a href="https://news.em.gatech.edu/" target="_blank" class="nav-link">News</a> </li> <li class="nav-item"> <a class="nav-link" href="/check-application-status" style="color: #a4925a; font-weight: 900;">Check Status</a> </li> </ul> <script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=012251456853408596157:sdicf3kv1iu"></script> <div class="gcse-searchbox-only"></div> </div> </nav> </div> <main role="main"> <script async="async" src=https://application.gatech.edu/ping>/**/</script>  <div class="container"> <div class="row pg-title"> <div class="col text-center"> <a href="/2023-viewbook" target="_blank"><img src="/images/banners/RoadPiece_header082123.jpg" class="img-fluid w-100" alt="Viewbook"></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <h2 class="pt-4">Prepare for College</h2> <p>It’s never too early to start thinking about college, and we’re excited to help you prepare. Your college admission experience should go beyond exploring higher education options, finding a good fit, and getting in. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about yourself—to understand who you are, where you will thrive, what makes sense financially, and how to use your resources along the way.</p> <p>We’ve created this page to help you ask good questions, learn about what college admission readers are looking for, and keep perspective throughout the process.</p> <p>Finding the college that is right for you is an exciting adventure. We hope these resources will be good tools to help you get there.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="card card-border"> <a href="/images/pdf/college_guide.pdf" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/blocks/CSGcover-(520x299).jpg" class="card-img-top" alt="The cover of the college selection guide, showing a collage of typical college life scenes – including students researching, working together, and at graduation."> </a> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-header"> College Selection Guide </div> <p class="card-text">Use our College Selection Guide to help narrow down the options and find your best fit , keeping in mind characteristics like location, size, college town characteristics, environment, typical weather, and distance from home.</p> <a href="/images/pdf/college_guide.pdf" target="_blank" class="gt-btn-black">Download College Guide</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="card card-border"> <a href="https://www.usg.edu/georgia-degrees-pay" target="_blank" ><img src="/images/blocks/sidewalkfriends520x299.jpg" class="card-img-top" alt="Georgia Tech students walk and laugh together on campus."> </a> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-header"> Georgia Degrees Pay </div> <p class="card-text">Degrees from a Georgia institution lead to promising careers. All the information you need about degree attainment, student success, costs, and affordability at the University System of Georgia's 26 public colleges and universities.</p> <a href="https://www.usg.edu/georgia-degrees-pay" target="_blank" class="gt-btn-black">Explore USG Schools</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="card card-border"> <a href="https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/blocks/39-Photos-(520x299).jpg" class="card-img-top" alt="Georgia Tech mascot Buzz drives a miniature version of the other Tech mascot, the Ramblin’ Wreck."> </a> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-header"> Georgia Tech Admission Blog </div> <p class="card-text">Follow our admission blog, where we share advice and tips weekly to help you along your college admission journey.</p> <a href="https://sites.gatech.edu/admission-blog/" target="_blank" class="gt-btn-black">Subscribe to the Blog</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container pt-4"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <div class="container pt-4"> <div class="row row-gold p-4"> <div class="col-md-6"> <h2>Paying for College</h2> <p>We know that paying for college is a difficult task. Make it easier by mapping out your financial needs for your time in college. Read more about how current and recently graduated students planned for the costs associated with a college education, both before and during their time in college.</p> <p>Whether you find yourself at Georgia Tech or another institution, having the information to successfully budget and understand how to fund your time in school is essential.</p> <a href="https://news.em.gatech.edu/paying-for-college/" target="_blank" class="gt-btn-black">Explore Student Perspectives on Paying for College</a> </div> <div class="col-md-6"> <a href="https://news.em.gatech.edu/paying-for-college/" target="_blank"><img class="img-fluid w-100" src="/images/blocks/talking3.520x299.jpg" alt="Three undergraduate students work on assignments together on Georgia Tech’s historic Old Campus in Atlanta, Georgia."></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col"> <h2 class="pt-4">Learn More About Georgia Tech</h2> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="card card-border"> <a href="/academics"> <img src="/images/blocks/50-Photos-(520x299).jpg" class="card-img-top" alt="An undergraduate student poses with a robotic mechanism attachment on her arm."> </a> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-header"> Colleges and Majors  </div> <p class="card-text">View our six colleges to learn more about Georgia Tech’s 39 Bachelor of Science degrees.</p> <a href="/academics" class="gt-btn-black">Explore Majors</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="card card-border"> <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/life" target="_blank" ><img src="/images/blocks/p12.jpg" class="card-img-top" alt="Four undergraduate students at Georgia Tech pose for a photo at the Bobby Dodd Stadium."> </a> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-header"> Student Life at Tech </div> <p class="card-text">Learn more about Georgia Tech’s academics, innovative programs, student activities, and exciting campus 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How to Prepare for College | Undergraduate Admission