The college admissions process can be daunting for anyone — students, parents, guidance counselors. It means decisions, it means time and it means changes.
But in today's society, it's almost become a rite of passage to at least go through the process.  Now, I'm not saying college has to be the route for everyone, because it won't be and everyone's journey through the higher education process will look different. But whether you're straight out of high school, coming back to education after a hiatus, training competitively and attending school, or just trying to make the most informed decision, there are some key things to keep in mind as you embark on your next steps.

Major/Field of Study
Often when you're 17 and deciding where you want to go to school, the idea of knowing what you want to do next can be scary. We're not expecting every 18 year old to arrive at college and know exactly what they want to be when they grow up, but we also know that some have a clear-cut plan, and that's OK, too. 
 
Campus Size
The size and feel of a campus can also a big factor in the decision-making process. Some might want to be at a research institution where you've got premier faculty doing big things outside of the classroom that you want to be a part of, or perhaps you want to be at a smaller, teaching institution where your classroom sizes don't reach beyond 30.
               
How does skating fit into your application
You're going to want to talk about skating in your application, because it's something you've probably been doing for multiple years. But it's important to recognize how skating can help you explain who you are beyond the ice rink.
               
Ashley Korn, vice chair, synchronized skating, alkorn@umich.edu
Hannah Kimberly, vice chair, intercollegiate skating, hwkimberly@gmail.com
Scott Brody, chair, collegiate subcommittee, sbrody93@gmail.com
Sarah Arnold, manager, athlete development, sarnold@usfigureskating.org
 
Ashley Korn is the vice-chair of synchronized skating for the Collegiate Skating Subcomitttee and an academic counselor at the University of Michigan.

Read the entire article in the June/July issue of SKATING magazine.