Students should start preparing for college in their junior year of high school. Personally, I did not start until my first semester of senior year. My school did not give any assistance, and I was the firstborn in my family, so my parents got to make all their mistakes with me. We had to cram in college research and interviews in just three months.

I think students should start thinking about college when they enter high school. It's important for them to know early on that they must keep their grades up in order to get into the college of their choice and compete for scholarship funding.