Preparing for College
Create. Learn. Change your life.
At Mount Mary University in Milwaukee you can create your future in careers that focus on helping people, helping businesses and creating a better community. To best prepare for admission to Mount Mary and to receive the most scholarships and financial aid possible, use this list of things to do each year of high school.
Senior Year
- Apply to Mount Mary. We encourage all high school seniors to apply for admission to Mount Mary as early as possible during your senior year.
- Visit campus. Even if you’ve already visited campus, we invite you to visit Mount Mary again as you narrow down your college selection. Second visits can be more involved, like sitting in on a class or spending the night in a residence hall.
- Apply for scholarships. Mount Mary offers many scholarships. Academic scholarships are automatically awarded upon acceptance, but other merit-based scholarships and full-tuition and near full-tuition scholarships require separate applications.
- Apply for financial aid. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 to receive the most aid possible. You also can get an early estimate of financial aid from Mount Mary.
- Earn college credit while in high school. You can earn college credits by taking Youth Options courses or by taking advanced placement (AP) courses and taking the AP exams.
- Participate in a Mount Mary summer camp. Each summer Mount Mary offers a Fashion Boot Camp for students interested in fashion design or merchandise management, as well as several sports camps.
- Keep working hard and getting good grades. The better your grades, the better your chances for earning the highest academic scholarship at Mount Mary.
- Take on leadership roles in extracurricular activities. Give your college application a boost by taking on a leadership role in a student club or in a volunteer activity.
Junior Year
- Explore colleges online. Determine which features of a college (student body size, location, academic programs, extracurricular activities, etc.) are most important to you and search for schools that match your criteria on site such as Cappex.com or Petersons.com.
- Visit Mount Mary (and other college campuses). One of the best ways to know if a college is a good fit for you is to visit campus. Junior year is a great time to visit Mount Mary to get a campus tour, meet professors and learn about scholarships and financial aid. You also can attend college fairs or meet with admission representatives who visit your high school.
- Find out how much college costs. A college education is a big investment and you can find out how much financial aid you can expect to receive and the amount you can expect to pay for a Mount Mary education using our Net Price Calculator. Also talk to your parents about how you and they expect to pay for college.
- Begin looking for scholarships. Several organizations offer award competitions or scholarship opportunities that you can apply for as early as your junior year. Search online for scholarships, art contests, essay contests, video contests and science competitions.
- Start earning college credit while in high school. Earn college credits by taking Youth Options courses or by taking advanced placement (AP) courses and taking the AP exams.
- Take the ACT or SAT test. We recommend that you take the ACT or SAT early in your junior year, so you have plenty of time to retake the test if you want to improve your score.
- Impress your teachers and get good grades. Some people say junior year is the toughest, so hang in there! A high GPA not only helps give you a better chance for admission, but it also impacts the amount of academic scholarship money you may qualify to receive. Doing well in class also gives your teachers a good impression of your abilities, so they can write letters of recommendation for you.
- Become a leader in school clubs. Colleges look for students who take on leadership roles in student clubs or volunteer activities. Participate in groups or volunteer efforts at your school or in your community and seek out leadership opportunities.
- Participate in a Mount Mary summer camp. Each summer Mount Mary offers a Fashion Boot Camp for students interested in fashion design or merchandise management.
Sophomore Year
- Study hard and get good grades. Because colleges look at all four years of academics, remember to continue to do your homework, study hard for tests and participate in class.
- Get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteering/community service. Continue your involvement in activities you started as a freshman or choose to get involved in other activities of interest to you.
- Take the PLAN test. This test can help you explore career options and start planning your future. Ask your high school guidance counselor for more information about taking this test.
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT test. This test helps determine eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program. You can take it in your sophomore year and again in your junior year, if you choose. Contact your guidance counselor for more information.
- Participate in a Mount Mary summer camp. Each summer Mount Mary offers a Fashion Boot Camp for students interested in fashion design or merchandise management.
Freshman Year
- Do your homework and participate in class. Colleges look at all four years of academics, not just your last couple of years of high school, so start working hard to earn good grades. Your GPA can impact your chances of admission and the amount of scholarship money you may receive.
- Get involved. Whether you play a sport, participate in an after school club or volunteer in your community, find an activity or two that interests you. Some activities can help you explore career possibilities and learn more about jobs you do and don’t want to have.
- Do a job shadow experience. Job shadowing lets you follow a professional around for an entire day so you can see what a job is really like. Talk to your parents, your parents’ friends and family members about what they do at work and then talk to your high school guidance counselor to set up a job shadowing experience.
- Take personality or interest tests. These tests can help you discover more about what you like and what careers might be a good match for your strengths, talents and interests. Ask your high school guidance counselor for more information on these tests.
- Participate in a Mount Mary summer camp. Mount Mary offers several academic each year for students in middle school through high school.