14 Tips for College-Bound High Schoolers

Here are 14 bits of advice on college preparation and admissions from a guy who for 20 years taught literature and Latin to young people of your age.

Don’t just visit a campus. Take the guided tour, but then speak privately to students and faculty members. Shutterstock

So you’re a rising junior or senior in high school, and you’re thinking college is in your future. Here are 14 bits of advice on college preparation and admissions from a guy who for 20 years taught literature, composition, history, and Latin to young people your age.

1. Read Charles Murray’s “The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don’ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life” (Crown Business, 2014, 144 pages, $17.95). Murray’s book should be required reading for all high school students, college-bound or not. It’s short, witty, and an excellent guide to adulthood.