Author: Web Writing Intern

The transition from high school to college is an empowering yet challenging process. When I applied, I felt confused and pressured to make the right decision, even though I wasn’t sure which college fit me best. I spent weeks filling out applications, writing essays, and compiling my extracurriculars to make myself a more competitive applicant. With so much to consider when applying, it’s difficult to know where to start. Luckily for Green Bay high school students, there are numerous resources readily available to support you along the way. 

Plan Ahead 

Preparing for college starts long before your senior year when you craft applications and tour campuses. Your grades, extracurriculars and classes beginning your freshman year of high school all matter on a college application and can even help you save time and money in college.  

The biggest hack for planning ahead is taking AP and college credit courses in high school.  AP courses are available nationally and require passing a test to obtain college credits. College credit courses offered in high school are typically regionally focused and only require passing the class to obtain college credits. While more difficult than standard high school courses, these may save you thousands of dollars in college by covering courses at a lower cost. It also shows colleges you’re more than prepared for the next step. 

Depending on your high school, a variety of AP and college credit courses are offered. As Green Bay high school students, the college credit courses offered are most likely through UW-Green Bay, NWTC and St. Norbert college. 

Once you have college credits in high school, ensuring your future college accepts your credits is crucial so they don’t go to waste. Before graduating, count all your credits and visit  transfer credit webpages to see which of your credits will transfer. If you plan on attending the college you take college credit courses through in high school, your credits will transfer there, but they aren’t guaranteed to transfer everywhere. AP credits are slightly different—visit the AP Credit Policy Search webpage to check if they transfer. 

Converting to college life is scary—it’s full of unknowns and requires a lot of planning. As Green Bay high school students, there are many ways to prepare for college in high school plus affordable universities like UW-Green Bay close by. Utilize these resources and tips to make your application process and transition to college as smooth as possible.  

Prepare Application 

The most important step in applying for college is preparing your application and being mindful of application deadlines. When I applied to UW-Green Bay, it was as easy as making a Universities of Wisconsin account. This account allowed me to apply for any Universities of Wisconsin school and told me when each application was due. It’s recommended to choose between five and eight colleges, so only needing one account for multiple applications was helpful.  

If you need assistance getting your application started, reach out to your school’s guidance counselor or your desired college’s Admissions team. If you are applying to a Universities of Wisconsin school, you can also reach out to UW HELP. 

Here’s everything to include in your application: 

1. Gather basic background information. My college applications required my U.S. social security number, country of citizenship, and where I was born. 
2. Get your transcripts in order. Your high school should have your transcripts ready for you. Talk to a teacher, guidance counselor, or the registrar office for help obtaining them. 
3. Take a standardized test and share your scores. The ACT is the largest and most popular standardized test Wisconsin high schoolers take. Some colleges in Wisconsin require an ACT score, and if they don’t, submitting it can make you a more competitive college applicant and help with course placement. It’s also a source for colleges to gather your strengths as a student and why they’d want you at their school.  
4. Write your essay. In my opinion, your essay is the most important part of your college application. Any student can have the same grades, test scores or extracurriculars as you, but your essay is where you get to share your unique journey. In my essay for UW-Green Bay, I wrote about challenges I overcame, like tearing my ACL the summer before freshman year and navigating the first few weeks of high school on crutches. Otherwise, Universities of Wisconsin provides many tips on preparing a solid, confident essay. 
5. Get a letter of recommendation. While only a few colleges—like UW-Madison—require this, a letter of recommendation strengthens your application and gives colleges an outside perspective of who you are. I asked my favorite teacher to write my letter of recommendation, but you can ask guidance counselors or any staff member who knows you at your high school. 

Research Colleges 

Before choosing a college, it’s important to research the academic programs and campus atmosphere they provide. The best way to do this is touring college campuses in advance. During campus tours, a student will walk you through academic, recreational and residential buildings and give you a taste of what your life would look like as a student. You can also ask questions pertaining to your unique needs, like where most of your classes would be for your major. 

Sometimes, touring a college that interests you isn’t possible, so a lot of schools will provide virtual tours. Virtual college tours are great for people who don’t have access to transportation or have busy schedules. At UW-Green Bay, I did a physical tour in high school and virtual tour the summer before starting college to refresh my memory. 

After touring colleges, there’s still many things to consider before making your choice. To help you out, I’ve listed the top questions I researched when finding the right college for me: 

1. How much will it cost? This includes tuition, housing, meal plans, school supplies and transportation. I used UW-Green Bay’s Cost of Attendance Calculator to estimate my expenses. 
2. What are their strongest programs? Choosing a school with a strong program for your major is important for building community and getting the best education possible because a better program means better opportunities. 
3. How far away is it? Campus location is crucial if you plan on visiting home a lot, plan to work and attend school at the same time or you’re commuting to school. Choosing a campus far away from home will make these difficult. 
4. What is the campus and surrounding city like? If you are someone who wants to go to college in a big city, you would probably enjoy a school like UW-Milwaukee more than UW-Green Bay. The community that surrounds your campus, what it offers, and whether it’s walkable or not are important to consider, especially if you aren’t bringing a car to college. 
5. Are there communities/clubs at the college that fit you? Your life at college is more than academics. Choosing a college that empowers and supports you is important for success. For example, UW-Green Bay’s Kress Center and student job opportunities were drawing points for me because I love being active and wanted valuable work experience while staying on campus. 

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Reese is a senior studying Writing and Applied Arts from De Pere, Wisconsin. She lives off-campus but has worked multiple on-campus jobs as a GBIT Service Desk Analyst, GBIT Endpoint Content Writing intern, and now a Web Writing intern for MUC. Her favorite thing about campus is the beautiful scenery. When she graduates, she wants to be a technical writer or web content writer.

As a student, one of the biggest stressors is finances. Whether it’s time to pay tuition or a monthly Netflix subscription, money is constantly withdrawn from your bank account, and it’s difficult to keep up. With student and home life obligations, keeping track of finances is difficult, but with help from these tips, it’s easier than you think! 

Scholarships 

Scholarships are one of the most helpful tools in paying tuition and can grant hundreds to over a thousand dollars per semester. Scholarship money awarded to you never has to be paid back—who can pass that up! While applying for scholarships can be daunting, applying for as many as possible increases your chances of earning one. 

UW-Green Bay makes applying for scholarships easy by only filling out one application to be considered for all the scholarships they offer. 

Transfer Credits 

If you are a transfer student, have received College Credits in High School or took AP classes in high school, don’t let your work go to waste! These credits can transfer to your university as general education or graduation requirements. This way, you save money on tuition and school expenses by graduating faster and not paying for courses you’ve already completed. Check your university’s Credit Transfer webpage or contact a transfer counselor to ensure all your transfer credits are accounted for. 

Student Budgeting 

The first step to financial planning during college is creating a budget. Budgeting is crucial whether you’re a student looking for some spending money or one with dependents and a home to provide for. You should divide your monthly income so you’re never left without money for necessities, like rent, food or school supplies. Unlike that new pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing, necessities have due dates for when they need to be paid and are most important in your budget. 

Another thing to prioritize in your budget is placing money into a savings account. Saving even a small amount of money each month helps your future self with expenses after graduation and is helpful if you run into a financial emergency. 

If you want assistance with budgeting as a UW-Green Bay student, the Charles Schwab Center for Financial Wellness offers financial counseling at zero cost. 

Student Loans 

Many students don’t have thousands of dollars to pay for their tuition, so they take out student loans. While it’s easy to forget about student loans during the school year, if you have unsubsidized loans like most students, they build interest every day. 

The annual interest rate for student loans taken out between July 1, 2024, and Jun 30, 2025, is 6.53% for undergraduates and 8.08% for graduates. While the interest rate doesn’t change after it is set, once you start paying off your loans, the payments will go toward the built interest first, then the original loan amount. This also applies to students with subsidized loans, but the interest isn’t added to their payment until graduation. 

To save yourself money, take out as little as needed in student loans and pay them off as soon as possible. If you are unsure which loans you have, visit the Federal Student Aid website—you can start paying off your student loans today, even if you haven’t graduated yet. Future you will thank you. 

Student Jobs 

We could all use some extra money in our pockets—getting an on-campus job is a great way to earn it. Supervisors are especially mindful of your obligations and schedule with student jobs because they work for the university you attend. On-campus employment even has caps on how much students can work so you will never have to worry about working more than you can manage. 

Applying for on-campus jobs can be as easy as using UW-Green Bay’s Handshake site. It shows available student jobs with clear hourly pay, requirements and weekly hours. You can apply for jobs in food service, custodial, information technology or whatever fits you. 

Student Credit Cards 

Credit cards are necessary and offer many benefits, like decreased interest on loans, lower fees, and rewards despite their repercussions. The higher your credit score and the longer you hold a credit card, the better the benefits and credit cards you can apply for in the future. That is why opening a credit card as early as possible is crucial to financial success, and there are many student options for first-time credit card holders. 

At first, credit cards can seem like an easy way to pay for things because you don’t need money in your account to use them. In fact, the average college student has $4,000 in credit card debt, and unpaid bills at the end of the month significantly hurt your credit score and financial success. Your credit score, which is important for buying homes, cars, and more in the future, may decrease, your interest rates on loans will be higher, and late payment fees can add up. Not properly using a credit card leads to adverse but avoidable consequences. 

For advice or assistance opening a credit card, visit a credit union or bank like the UW Credit Union. At UW-Green Bay, this is located in the University Union. 

Student Discounts 

Everyone loves free stuff and discounts. As a student, they help when other expenses are looming. Luckily, the number of student discounts is endless! Check your university’s provided student discounts on items like technology and software used daily as a student. 

Additional popular student discounts include Spotify and Hulu, Adobe and Amazon. To check for more student discounts on personal items, clothing or more, visit the UNiDAYS website to ensure you’re not spending unnecessary money. 

Textbooks 

Textbooks are one of the most expensive items students purchase during the school year. While they’re needed for most classes, buying new textbooks can cost hundreds of dollars, making their costs unmanageable. Some of the easiest ways to lower this cost are buying used textbooks, renting textbooks and utilizing eBooks. In fact, opting for eBooks alone could save you as much as 50% on a textbook fee. Luckily, most of these alternatives are provided through your university’s bookstore webpage under purchasing options for the textbooks you need. 

Also, if you prefer a new, physical textbook but don’t need it after your course is finished, you can try selling it to your bookstore. At UW-Green Bay, you can get as much as 50% back of your textbook’s original price after selling it to the bookstore. 

Managing student responsibilities, especially finances, can feel overwhelming. However, financial planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Utilize your university’s resources and take advantage of student options for things like credit cards and discounts to make your everyday financial tracking easier. 

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Reese is a senior studying Writing and Applied Arts from De Pere, Wisconsin. She lives off-campus but has worked multiple on-campus jobs as a GBIT Service Desk Analyst, GBIT Endpoint Content Writing intern, and now a Web Writing intern for MUC. Her favorite thing about campus is the beautiful scenery. When she graduates, she wants to be a technical writer or web content writer.

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