As a college senior or as someone who has been out of formal education for a few years, applying to college can give you a structured method to define your goals. College applications rarely require you to specify your educational goals, so you have the opportunity to express your broadest ambitions. This exercise, distilled in your personal statement or writing sample, can help you set up the next phase of your life, in college or elsewhere.
Take the college admissions process as a chance to improve your own application materials. Almost all college applications require a writing sample, SAT or ACT scores, completed forms, and letters of recommendation. In some professional fields, these materials, especially the sample and letters, will be required. After you've applied and been accepted to colleges, you might find college isn't for you, but you'll still have developed some skills that can be applied to job applications or personal development.
After you've enrolled in a college, the collegiate experience can offer a range of educational advantages. In class, you will gain valuable knowledge in fields as diverse as biology and philosophy. Out of class, students have the chance to experience a cultural, economic and personal diversity because colleges draw on a larger geographic and social network than a single high school could.
Apart from less practical fields, college students receive professional training for jobs in engineering, scientific research, education and other fields. Because employees with a limited education cannot advance beyond a certain position in management, they can maximize her professional opportunities by holding an advanced degree that might qualify for a higher position. Some employers, particularly white-collar jobs, no longer hire entry-level individuals who haven't earned a college degree.
College students have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or a year, engaging with a different culture in a more sustained way than a tourist could. Extracurricular activities provide students with sports activity, government roles, and social networking opportunities. Additionally, students have the opportunity to intern in professions they are interested in, such as law firms or medical professions.