Create a College Bound Magazine for Your School

In high school, there’s so much information out there about colleges, preparing for college, and getting into college that it’s next to impossible to sort through it all. Help your students succeed by creating a college bound magazine unique to your own high school. The college bound magazine can be managed by the guidance office, school administration, PTA, or even by a high school journalism class!

Tips for Creating a College Bound Magazine

A college bound magazine for your students should seek to answer many of the questions College Board says students should be asking their guidance counselors. The problem is that many students just don’t know what to ask guidance counselors, so they may not get the information they need to succeed in high school and beyond. Your magazine might seek to answer these questions before they’re even asked by telling students:

• 
  
• What classes are required for a diploma that will prepare them for college.
• 
  
• If your school has AP courses and how helpful they might be for college admissions and getting credit early.
• 
  
• About any dual-credit programs your high school offers with local colleges and universities to get students doing college-level work sooner.
• 
  
• How to ask for letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselors.
• 
  
• How to get a copy of their transcript before applying to colleges.

By seeking to answer these questions, you can help your high school students start thinking early about college and what they need to do to prepare.

Things to Include in a College Bound Magazine

A college bound magazine from your school should be informative but also fun to read. You can include all sorts of information, particularly localized information that it might be hard for students to find online. One idea is to set up the magazine like a newsletter that you publish every month. To better target your audience, consider putting out separate magazines for each grade level. Freshman, for instance, might want to focus more on figuring out what they might enjoy doing in college and beyond, while seniors need to be focused on deadlines, tests, and personal essays.

Some things to put in your college bound magazine include:

• 
  
• Information about scholarships through local clubs and organizations or just for students from your school. Don’t forget to direct students to where they can pick up application materials and remind them of the application deadline!
• 
  
• Practice questions for the PSAT, SAT, or ACT. Every issue, throw in one or two questions just so students can see if they’re getting ready for the SAT and can get the right answers. This can make for some fun, friendly classroom competition too.
• 
  
• Profiles of different local colleges and universities, different majors students may not know about, or career paths that might be interesting. Profiles should include basic information as well as internet links to where students might find more information if they’re interested.
• 
  
• Study tips and test preparation tips for students to use as they get ready for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or AP exams.
• 
  
• Information about upcoming events, such as college fairs, career seminars, and other local and school-wide events.
• 
  
• College financial aid tips and deadlines for students and parents, including information on current college costs, saving for college, and your state’s college savings and scholarship options.

This is just a short list of all the items you can include in a college bound magazine for your school. You can choose to publish a magazine like this online, as an email, or in paper format to be sent home with students on a regular basis. Whether you want to do one big magazine a year or several small editions throughout the school year is up to you, but such a magazine can keep students motivated when applying for college, clue them in on local deadlines, and help them understand the application process. It’s a great way to help your students succeed in college!