How do you get into college?

Tests and Good Grades ACT-The ACT is a standardized test many colleges require as part of their application. A perfect score on the ACT is 36. The higher your score, the more scholarships available to you. SAT-The SAT is similar to the ACT. Most people take the ACT, but some colleges require the SAT instead. PSAT--A practice SAT test given to 10th grade students. ASPIRE--Like the PSAT, but for the ACT.

How do you pay for college?

Paying for College FAFSA-The Federal Application for Student Aid. You and/or your parents/guardians must complete this to qualify for grants and loans, and many colleges require the FAFSA. It uses information from your taxes to help decide how much help you will need to pay for college. Financial Aid--Refers to grants, scholarships, loans, and work study funds provided by private organizations, the government, and your college, to help pay for your education and living expenses while in college. Loan-Money you must pay back. Federal loans tend to have better interest rates than private loans. I repeat, you must pay these back. Loans ARE NOT free money. Scholarship--Money you do not pay back, usually given on the basis of merit (grades), citizenship, essays, or financial need.

Paying for College Grant--Money you do not pay back that is provided on the basis of financial need, often in the form of a Pell Grant. Work Study-A type of financial aid where you work in the university or in a partnering community agency for up to 20 hours per week, and receive pay for your work. Your paychecks are expected to assist with your living expenses while in college.

College Degrees

College Degrees Associates Degree--A 2 year college degree in a job related field, and often provides the training necessary for a beginning licensure. For example, with an associates degree in nursing you may test to be an RN, with a Bachelors degree you would be a BSN, and with a certification (above) you would be a STNA. Bachelors Degree--A 4 year degree in a subject (your major),like political science, or skill, like engineering. Bachelors degrees provide an opportunity to take a wide breadth of classes in a variety of subjects and learn more about the world. Most people with a Bachelors degree don't get an associates degree, but some people get both. Masters Degree--A Masters degree is a speciality degree that takes 1- 3 years and focuses on one topic, like mental health counseling or special education. Masters Degrees are often more career specific, but not always. You must get a Bachelors Degree first.

College Degrees PhD--A PhD, or doctorate degree, takes 3-5 years. Getting a PhD means you are the specialist in one very specific topic, like rural literature or the impact of childhood poverty on literacy. A PhD qualifies you to be a professor at a college, and write in your field as an expert. It is a doctorate but getting a PhD does not make you a medical doctor. You must get a Bachelors or Masters first, depending on the field. Credit--Points you get for passing a class. Classes can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more credits, depending. Most are 3-5. You will need a certain number of credits to graduate.

Majors and Minors Major--Your main are of study. Examples of majors include War & Peace Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Costume & Set Design, Middle Childhood Education, Pre Med, and Creative Writing. Minor--A secondary area of study. You can minor in almost anything. Popular examples include Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, English, Business, and Math. A minor is one way to document a secondary skill that will be useful in your field of employment.

Important People to Know

Important People to Know Advisor--The person who helps you choose classes and makes sure you're taking the right classes to graduate. You always need to be a smart consumer and double check, though. Professor--This title is reserved for folks with PhDs who have full professorship, which means they have tenure (defined below). Other instructor should be referred to as "doctor" because they have PhDs but aren't professors. Teaching assistant (TA)-A student who is studying for their masters degree or PhD who assists in teaching, or teaches, a course or lab. In return for teaching a TA receives free tuition and a stipend for living expenses

Colleges in Tennessee

Colleges in Tennessee