High school students can learn a lot from the perspective of those who have made it to college.
Alumni Autumn Zusman is a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara. For her, college preparation started earlier than senior year.
Things like the sport she played and the classes she chose affected her college admissions experience.
“I would say try to challenge yourself in high school because it will pay off, like taking a bunch of APs — not too many but just the right amount— helped a lot,” she said.
One of the most important things for Zusman, when she applied to college, was getting an early start on looking at colleges and making plans.
“Start looking as early as possible. It’s not like it’s an urgent need to look right as a freshman when you get into high school, but like as a sophomore just start thinking about going,” Zusman said.
For her, when narrowing down colleges, a lot more than just education comes into play.
For Zusman location factored into choosing which college to attend as well as the school’s proximity to the beach.
The resources UCSB had also come into play for her. She wanted to ensure her college had good clubs, extracurriculars, and outside-of-class support.
Zusman’s college counselor, the co-director of College Bound Consulting, gave her the same advice she gives to all of her clients: “College is an amazing experience. Don’t be scared to open your eyes and see beyond our little bubble of the world. Just be open to what’s out there,” Deborah Surber said.
Zusman encourages high school students to remember that college can be a great beneficial experience beyond learning.
“I surrounded myself with super motivated people, had a super social environment, and made a lot of incredible connections,” she said.
She also encourages students to believe in themselves during the application process.
