College Admission Help

College Essay Experts: High school juniors go to college

By Rob Rogers
Redding.com

The future is here, and juniors need to be prepared.
"You are not going to make it with a high school diploma," Buffy Tanner, assistant director of College OPTIONS, told the group.
Tanner was at Simpson University recently for Shasta County Junior Day, an annual event that brings area high school juniors to a college campus to acquaint them with post-secondary education options.
Nearly 350 juniors from 10 Shasta County high schools attended workshops on planning for financial aid, picking the right college or trade school, and deciding on the best career.
The idea is to get the juniors thinking about life after high school and to get them to plan accordingly, Tanner said.
"I learned there were a lot of options out there to receive money," said Blair Davis, a junior from Anderson New Technology High School.
Classmate Ariel Sewart agreed.
"I just didn't know what all there was," she said.
Both plan to attend college after they graduate, although they're still trying to decide where.
"There is a lot of pressure to go to college," Sewart said.
And she understands the need, given the current economic climate, she said. Sewart added that she just wants to make sure she finds the right place.
Davis said the push to do something after high school is real.
"I feel the pressure," Davis said. "But I want to be able to do what I want to do."
Davis said she wants to pursue a career in massage therapy, and Sewart said she hopes to become a writer and actor.
The juniors returned to their high schools after a lunch of pizza in Simpson's Heritage Center.
The event is sponsored by College OPTIONS, a nonprofit organization created five years ago to be a resource for families of high school-aged children and help them get to college.
Starting this year, Simpson will host the event annually. However, the emphasis of Junior Day will stay squarely on seeking out all post-secondary options, organizers said.
"You aren't going to hear, 'Come to Simpson,'" Tanner said. "It's very 'general college.'"

College Essay Experts: High school juniors go to college