BY SARAH SHARPE
Hundreds of students and parents piled into the Cooper City High School auditorium on Wednesday, February 5 to attend the second annual “College 101,” an informational program to learn tips and tricks of getting into college.
The event began with an introduction followed by three different sessions. Within the three sessions families were given the choice to attend one of nine different classes on college preparation.
Many myths about the college application process were debunked that evening, such as the preference of the SAT over the ACT, dual enrollment over AP classes, and extracurricular involvement.
There are very few schools, if not none, that don’t accept both the SAT and the ACT. There are pros and cons to both tests, so preferences differ for each student. The Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Miami, Noelle McMahon, recommended that students take both tests at least once to see which one the student is stronger in. Then, they should take that test multiple times.
It’s common for students to believe that universities prefer dual enrollment courses taken at Broward College to AP classes offered at CCHS. That belief is far from the truth.
“Challenge yourself within the context of your high school and what you’re capable of,” McMahon said. “Universities like to see students exhaust the rigorous curriculum at their high school before dual enrolling.”
This doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t dual enroll, though. It’s an opportunity that allows students to take courses that aren’t offered at CCHS.
Finally, universities prefer that students strongly excel in one club rather than spread themselves thin in several of them. Achieving leadership positions is impressive to universities and helps students stand out from the majority.
“Universities make their decisions based on freshman, sophomore, and junior year academics. So don’t wait until senior year to start enrolling in AP classes and seeking leadership positions.” College Counselor Barry Liebowitz said.
Many parents, and students alike, left College 101 with valuable information.
“A student may be admitted to the school, but then not meet the requirements of his or her desired program or major,” parent Michelle Hudson said. “Prospective students should look closely at specific criteria for acceptance into the particular programs they may wish to enter.”
