So I was driving out toward Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, Oklahoma this morning and the exit I normally take was blocked off for road construction with a sign that said (in bright orange might I add) CLOSED. Not, exit closed one mile ahead, please detour… simply CLOSED. I was road blocked on the way to Sand Springs.

It is not so far-fetched to equate this Monday occurrence in my life to yours as you navigate the maze to college. So here’s what I learned:

a)      Sometimes life throws up roadblocks

b)      Planning ahead might have saved me some time

c)       Someone always knows how to instruct me from point A to point B

Let me take a stab at explaining them in relation to college admission. First, sometimes things just simply don’t go as planned. Even with ample time allowed to complete the trip there can be some roadblocks along the way. One of those might be your high school grades, your test scores, or your financial situation. Admission to college can be contingent on many things and your past performance has a lot to do with your opportunity to become admitted to a university or win scholarships. Additionally, the time of year when you apply for admission can have some impact on whether or not you become admitted to a university. You see, most colleges and universities have application deadlines and scholarship deadlines. At OU we require incoming freshmen to submit their application for admission and scholarship by February 1 in order to be considered for scholarships. Students may still apply for admission until April 1, but after the February 1 deadline they are no longer eligible to receive scholarships from OU. My advice to you: don’t wait to apply for admission. Apply now to help eliminate some potential roadblocks.

Next, if you have not started to plan for college you could fall behind. Obviously this is your first time to solicit admission from a school, try to win scholarships, apply for financial assistance and try to live your senior year as well. If you wait until January to submit your admission and scholarship application, you will be behind the eight ball, so to say. It will save you time if you download a timeline (my suggestion is the college planning checklist at go2.ou.edu). A simple guide with deadlines printed on it will aid you in your navigation of the college maze. Don’t forget to heed the dates listed. You don’t want to have to scramble to get important documents turned in at the last minute.

Finally, there are always people along the way to help you navigate the college admission process. If you do not know your OU recruiter, please visit Meet Your OU Rep to see with whom you should connect. We are here to aid you in the admission, scholarship, housing and financial aid processes as you venture into college. Please let us know how we can help.

So, try to avoid roadblocks, save some time by planning ahead, and don’t forget to meet your recruiter. Enjoy the weekend. – Go Sooners, Beat Texas!