Sophomore Alex Collins knows what he wants to do with his life, along with where to go to achieve that dream.

“I want to be a clinical psychologist,” Collins said. “I already have a list of colleges I’m looking at and will be touring in the spring.”

Collins is on track to graduate early with the Class of 2023. College and Career Counselor Jennifer Lowrey helped him figure out how to do that. 

“My counselor has helped me research good PhD programs. I’ve been starting to apply for essay scholarships and the National Merit Program,” Collins said. 

Lowrey helps students in all grades set up their college applications, beginning Aug. 1 before senior year.

“Most college applications can be completed in 30 minutes and do not require essays or letters of recommendation,” Lowrey said. 

Lowrey works with every student all four years.

“I go into classrooms to go over the college application process for seniors. I talk about campus visits and military and apprenticeship options for juniors,” Lowrey said. “I help students create a SCOIR resume, and help them complete a Youscience career assessment for freshman and sophomores.”

Youscience allows individuals to discover their talents and skills and helps to apply them to job opportunities. SCOIR connects students, families, and colleges for a better admissions process.

“You can complete a college search on SCOIR and start a job resume,” Lowrey said.

Advanced Placement classes and dual-enrollment are two ways to get college credit early. 

“Advanced Placement is probably more widely accepted and costs less upfront, but credit is based on performance on one day… one test. Dual credit costs more, but the outcome is more determined ahead of time,” AP World teacher Belle Schultz said. 

Each 2022 AP regular exam will cost $104 with the Capstone AP exams costing $152.

Collins will take two AP exams this year, and another next year. 

“Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself. If you feel like you’re about to burn out, take a step back for a day or so,” Collins said “You can always catch up later. And it’s completely okay to not know exactly who you want to be, undecided majors and gap years are always good options.”