The Plan for College

Plan A

The easiest way to enter a university in Arizona is to fulfill three easy requirements:

1. Complete the Sweet 16 course requirements
2. Graduate in the top 25% of your class
3. Be a resident from the State of Arizona

If you fulfill these three requirements, you are essentially guaranteed admission to any of the three Arizona universities.

Plan B

If you can't fulfill all three of the requirements in Plan A, don't lose hope!  The second option is through what most universities call "comprehensive" or "holistic" admissions.  This means that an admissions counselor carefully reviews your application for typical (grades, test scores, involvements) and non-typical (personal statements, essays, leadership, service) characteristics.  It is always best to make sure you are taking the most rigorous (challenging) courses for your skill level, and your high school counselor can be a great asset when it comes to scheduling the right courses for you and your college choice.  

Plan C

If entering a four-year degree program directly from high school is not an option, maybe community college would be a good opportunity to start your studies.  When students enter a community college and initiate a plan for transfer (with their admissions counselor and advisors at the college), they often have great success and still graduate with a bachelor's degree within 4 to 5 years.  The two easiest methods for a guaranteed transfer to an Arizona university are:

1. Completing the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC), a series of 36 units of courses that also can qualify for your general education requirement at the university.
2. Completing an associate's degree

Counselors

Whatever your plans might be for going to college, make sure to start planning with an adult.  Your parents, teachers, counselors, or community leaders can often be a great source of information and support as you start your path to your future career.