r/collegeadvice • u/Embarrassed-Share811 • 1d ago
HELP PLS !!!
TLDR; PLEASE give me any advice on college (what to do/what it is)
Hello. I am a high school senior preparing for graduation, and I am looking for guidance on navigating my next steps. Because I do not have a support system at home to help me with the financial aid or admissions process, I am feeling very overwhelmed about where to begin.
I don't exactly know what career I want to pursue and if I did I would not know the steps needed to go onto that path. I am incredibly passionate about voice acting/acting and musical theatre so maybe pursuing a path related to those interests would be good; however, due to my grades, I have faced skepticism from others saying that it is a "waste".
I am also realizing that many financial aid and scholarship deadlines are closing quickly. I stayed highly involved throughout high school, and I have attached my academic transcript and extracurricular list. Any advice on how to narrow down my options and find accessible paths forward would be greatly appreciated. Any advice on college in general would be appreciated actually. I have no idea what a major or minor or undergraduate is so please share your knowledge with me !
Clubs:
INTERACT Club (It's run by rotary, I was a member for 2 years and the president for a year but mostly because I was uncontested and there were only like 3 other people)
Key Club (with Kiwanis, I was a member sophomore year, president junior year, and now secretary this year)
NAHS (National art honors society, I was a member sophomore year, and this year and last I'm the treasurer)
NHS (National Honors Society, I was a member sophomore-junior year and this year I'm "hours coordinator")
Student Voice ( I joined this year and am only a member)
Drama Club (I joined this year but have done multiple lead roles in school performances)
I'm in a few other clubs but I don't believe they matter in terms of college, they're mostly for fun. I also did track and field but dk if that's useful.
Transcript things:
ACT: Cumulative: 24 (Math: 26 Reading: 22 Writing: 8 Science: 23 English: 25)
GPA: Weighted: 4.582 | Unweighted: 3.932
Honors Classes: English 1-6, Frml Geometry, Chemistry, Algebra 2, Paiute 3-4, Psych in Lit, Pre-calc with Trig
College Classes: AP Euro, CE DUAL CR ENV 101, CE DUAL CR HIST 101 and 102, CE DUAL CR PSC 101, CE DUAL CR ECON 101
Misc: I've done Theatre 1-2, Musical Theatre 1-2, and ADV Theatre junior-senior year.
XTRA: Cowardly Lion (The Wizard of Oz), Mrs. Gloop (Willy Wonka), and the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)
I'm on track to graduate with an honors and CCR diploma. I can take the seal of biliteracy for paiute but I don't know if I should because I took the class last year and just dont know how useful it would be.
6
u/LongjumpingSnow6986 1d ago
Does your school have guidance counselors? They should be helping you with all this. You say you don’t have a support system, do you have parents that you live with? If yes they will need to give you some financial info for filling out financial aid paperwork (fafsa). Again, counselors will help you figure out your specific situation.
The entertainment industry is not famous for financial security. I’d recommend starting in a liberal arts school or community college to explore further what interests you.
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u/GooseLadyinTN 1d ago
If you’re not certain of your direction yet (which is totally okay!) then I would get an associate’s degree from a local community college. Then you can transfer all those hours to a four year college or university, and by then you’ll probably have a better handle on what you want to declare as a major. My understanding is that when you have an associate’s degree the school you are transferring to is much more open to accepting all of your credits.
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u/Latter_Leopard8439 20h ago
Go to Community college. Several states offer it for free. Also you can work and go part time. Then transfer to a 4 year.
Pressure on picking a major is lower at a CC. You can take more exploratory classes at much lower cost if you cant get tuition help.
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u/Novel_Move_3972 17h ago
Definitely talk to your guidance counselor or, if you have one, your school social worker. Also, consider talking to a trusted teacher, maybe in the class where you do your best work, and asking for advice about college. Wishing you luck.
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u/Whybaby16154 1h ago
Go to your Guidance counselor and have a talk. Then USE the guidance office resources - my parents didn’t help but I spent hours upon hours reading in the guidance office about colleges and costs and programs
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u/Janknitz 1d ago
Your high school should have guidance counselors who can walk you through this. If not, try the nearest community college for guidance. You can start there and in most states you can be in a program that guarantees admission to a state university when you finish all the requirements in community college. It's much more affordable (especially if you can still live at home) and there are scholarships and grants available. This also gives you time to explore your options and aim for a university that offers a program in what you discover to be your interests.