I wish someone had told me this when I graduated high school, then I might not have joined the Navy before going to college.

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It’s not too late: a number of schools still offer tours and “weekend sleepovers” for prospective students. Also, many colleges like Evergreen State College in Washington state will accept applications up until April.

Don’t forget to recruit your parents’ help in your search, as well as from any adult mentors, teachers, counselors, etc. Your parents will have to fill out a FAFSA, the national financial aid application, in January, no matter where you go to school, so you might as well get them involved now. And did they also attend college? Pick their brains about where they applied and what made them decide to go to a particular school. You might be eligible for special consideration as well if you apply to a college where your parents are alumni (graduates).

If they didn’t, that’s okay: that means you are a first-generation college student and eligible for a federal Pell grant and enrollment in Student Support Services, another federal program that offers academic and financial support to students who are either first generation, low income, ESL, or disabled.

You are not, by the way, the only person who doesn’t know where he wants to go or what he wants to do. At this time of the year, there are millions of students feeling the same way. The ones who know where they are going tend to be the most vocal (and maybe the most smug, yes?), so you’ll hear a lot from them.

Finally, art schools: San Francisco Art Institute; Minneapolis College of Art and Design; and my favorite, CalArts in Valencia, CA. And if you are remotely interested in photojournalism, the Missouri School of Journalism has an excellent photojournalism track major. Don’t rule out the colleges in your area—sometimes going to a community college, a two-year, open enrollment school, is a good way to get your feet wet in a non-threatening environment, and you can still drive home at the end of the day.

Good luck—you’ll enjoy this process a lot more if you relax and let the people around you know what you’re going through. Learning to share the load is a good skill to take with you as you enter college.

I work in college admissions.

Don’t freak out just yet. If your a sophomore, you still have time. If your a junior, start applying to every college you even remotely want to attend. That way, you have many options to choose from when the time for choosing comes. If your a senior, and have not applied to any colleges, consider taking course in a tech school. Many of them have programs in art and design that might transfer to a four year college.

Brie has a good point as well. Contact the people in some of the college you wish to attend, particularly the head (or at least, professor) in the art department. AND JUST BREATHE!

Hang in there!

It’s sooo stressful! but try taking it one step at a time. Do your resume, get teachers to write recommendation letters, write essays, then fill out all the applications.

I don’t know much about art schools but apply to as many as possible and visit them after you get in to see which one fits you best. You can go to collegeboard.com and look for photography majors or what not.

And trust me everyone is just as confused as you are. Most people who claim that they know where they are going and what they will do usually end up on a totally different path.

Also, Guidance councilors can help you more with college junk. Make sure you took the ACT or SAT and look over the colleges you apply to to make sure that you don’t have to take the SAT II.

Also, while I didn’t go to art school – the art college I’ve been most impressed with is RISD. I think they pretty much have a good reputation in *everything*

I’m a sophomore in college (Pre-Med), I still live with my parents and I’m doing very well. I get to live in their big, beautiful house as opposed to some ugly little appartment and I don’t have to work for my car. School is hard enough, I don’t think I would’ve been able to handle just jumping right in to another state and all immediately.

If you are a good student, and you are considering professional school, I’d recommend going for Ivy League, but you’ll have to figure out what you really want…

If you don’t know where, or what, to study, take a year off to work, save up some cash so you won’t graduate with loads of debt, and make up your mind. Better to spend your money on something you know you’ll enjoy than to throw it to the wind.

Sincerely,

Graduated in a field I love ’cause I waited ’till I knew what I wanted to do.