Listen to Kensey and Taylor. These young women have different financial circumstances. They’re thinking about different schools. One will live at home to save money and has chosen her school. One will leave home, but hasn’t yet decided among a handful of possible schools.

Both talk about their career directions. They’ve done a lot of thinking about what they’d like to do after college. You’ll hear their reasons and who they’ve talked to. But, despite all this good work, surprisingly, they haven’t spent any time investigating details about the application process, deadlines, and specific course offerings. That should be on their to-do list.

Our motto for all students aiming for college: Start early. Plan carefully. Ask questions.