Looking to the Future: UNL's Carmen Varejcka McGee talks college

This afternoon Carmen Varejcka McGee of the University of Nebraska--Lincoln advised girls state citizens about how to prepare for college.  Here are the top five pieces of advice she shared:

1.Senior Year is important too--In other words: do not slack of.!  McGee advised the citizens to take challenging courses and stay engaged in their classes throughout the entire year. She said that even if you don’t intend to get credit for your advanced courses you should enroll in it anyway, because it provides you with free college experience. 

2.  Read, read, read--McGee said that reading is one of the most beneficial things a person can do to prepare for college. She advised the delegates to read a variety of texts including newspapers, novels, and autobiographies. 

3. Start this summer--McGee recommended that citizens start preparing for college this summer. There are several things delegates can do.  The first is to research colleges.  Citizens should figure out what type of institution they want to attend.  The second step is for citizens to determine their interests. They should ask themselves, “What types of subjects would I be interested in learning more about, or possibly creating a career out of?”  The last thing delegates were advised to do was to start digging for scholarships. McGee referenced www.fastweb.com as an accurate resource for free scholarship searches.    

4. Plan college visits--“Deciding on a college before you visit it is like buying a car before you take it for a test drive,” said McGee. Delegates were encouraged to visit campuses that interest them so they could visualize themselves as students. 

5. Don’t be stupid--Many citizens are looking forward to their senior year. With top dog status seniors are nearly unstoppable. But, when it comes to the law McGee warned the citizens to keep their futures in mind.  She said that an applicant with a record doesn't have the greatest chances for admission. 

by Imani Wilson

Carmen Varejcka McGee spoke Tuesday to prepare delegates on their journey to and through college. She hit several main points such as high school grades, scholarships, applying and financial aid.

McGee advocates continued involvement during your senior year. Depending on your college path, professional positions may look at your high school resume.

She stressed the importance of meeting deadlines for scholarships because even if you already have financial aid, as they give an extra boost you may need to follow through on your career.

 McGee gave the citizens a useful timeline to follow during your senior year that will assist in making senior year stress free.

           

September: Apply to 3 or 4 institutions

October: Most scholarship deadlines are due…..get those in! Also consider campus visits for the colleges you applied for.

January: Apply for financial aid and fill out the FASFA form

April: award letters are sent out….look over the information and compare credit hours on each.

May 1^st: Final deadline for declaration of attendance

by Gabi Feldner, Stephanie Alfred, Kameron Shelley, Kaylee Flower and Kaitlynn Thomas