Where will you go to school next year? That is the question that hundreds of seniors on Trinity’s campus, and thousands of other seniors across the nation, must answer. As the Class of 2013 finishes up their high school careers, they must also decide on their future. Seniors deciding what college they will attend must go through a long process of testing, visiting, applying, and ultimately, decision-making. It is a very time-consuming process, usually beginning early junior year. There is really no set time to begin the college process, but starting as early as possible will help students get into the college of their choice, according to Trinity senior Tanner Love. Love said, “Starting the process early really helped me.” One major way to start early in the college process is to take the ACT (a perfect score is 36), a graduation requirement at Trinity, sometime in junior year. “I took my first ACT in the December of my junior year,” Love said. It is also recommended that students take the ACT more than once to get as high a score as possible. Getting a good score will help students who wish to apply for scholarships. The score needed on the ACT to be eligible for scholarships differs from college to college. “It usually starts at 25 or above,” said Mr. Jeremy Jackson, one of Trinity’s college counselors. “If a school starts at 25, people with 27s and 28s will start applying to that college. It’s very competitive.” Some schools may also consider a student’s score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, another standardized test. So with two tests to consider, which is more important to acceptance into the college of choice? “They are 100 percent equal,” Jackson said.“Whichever one you do better on is the one you need to take.” The next important step in the college process is visiting schools and taking a tour of campuses. This is an important step in choosing the right college as students get a feel for what the school is about and what the school has to offer. Jackson reiterated this point by emphasizing that visiting a college is one of the most important steps in the college process: “It’s important to know what you’re getting into.” Love agreed, saying, “College visits were important because I got to see the college itself and see what you like and didn’t like.” Jackson and fellow counselor Mrs. Sharon Bohannon also help students decide which college might be best for them. “I help suggest a school for them based on what they tell me they are looking for in their college experience, such as activities and what kind of majors they have,” Jackson said. Students can, of course, visit any college at any point in the year, but Trinity has some restrictions on how many trips are allowed during the school year. Juniors wanting to visit a school are allowed visits only during the spring while seniors are allowed two days during the school year. “I would suggest more than that,” Jackson said, “and to take the visits during the summer.” Along with taking visits, students must begin applying to the colleges they would like to attend. Applications can be anywhere from just a page of questions to several pages of questions, many including essays. While there are some schools that have written applications, they can often be done online at a school’s website. One important aspect of these applications is to turn them in on time. All schools have an application deadline. Grade transcripts are also part of the application process. Transcripts are an official record of high school performance. Teacher recommendations may also help a student receive an acceptance letter from a preferred college. The counselors are very involved in the application process for the seniors each works with, sending in their applications and transcripts. After all the steps, seniors are finally able to sit back and wait for responses from colleges.