High school students planning to head off to college in a year or two have a lot to think about. What college should I attend? Will I be accepted? How will I pay for tuition and dorm life?

If these are the kinds of questions that make you want to postpone high school graduation indefinitely, fear not! We're ready to help. The library is offering some special programming this fall that will help high school students (and their families) navigate through the college application process now so they can enjoy those graduation parties later.

Studies have shown that students getting ready to take exams such as the PSAT and the SAT should incorporate three types of practice into their study schedule: individual, teacher-led and extracurricular. To help with the extracurricular approach, the library is offering a PSAT/SAT Study Group on Oct. 5. Materials will be provided, so come out to network with some of your peers who are also getting ready to take these important exams. You can also gauge how well you’re doing when you take a practice ACT, SAT or PSAT test at the library on Dec. 21.

If you’ve already selected some colleges you’d like to apply to and you’re ready to fill out your applications, you can get some feedback on those essays you’re struggling with when the library hosts College Essay Peer-Reviewing programs on Nov. 4 and Nov. 20. If thoughts about paying for college are keeping you up at night, consider attending Financial Aid Workshops on Nov. 2 and Nov. 16. Scholorship information will be presented on Oct. 24.

Keep an eye out for a list of similar college-bound programs available at other library locations throughout the system in the coming months! Meanwhile, student athletes hoping to play sports in college have some special issues to consider. To learn more, plan to attend an informative DI Bound workshop that also will be scheduled soon. Expect to see some additional financial aid workshops available later this year as well.