Everything you need to know if you’re the first in your family to play the college game.

If you’re the first in your family to apply to college, you probably have a hundred questions — and maybe nobody at home who’s been through the process to answer them. Enter Meghan Schneider, senior associate director of college counseling at Shorecrest Preparatory School. Schneider is a nationally recognized, award-winning counselor with extensive experience helping students like you identify and matriculate to their best-match schools.

Everything Counts
“A lot of students think the college process kicks off junior year,” Schneider says. “It actually starts in the first semester of ninth grade.” Whatever time gets spent scrambling now is time you’ll have to make up later, because it’s all going on the record.

The good news? You don’t need a perfect transcript. What colleges want to see is a trend: Consistent growth in your grades and how much you challenge yourself. That B you got in an Honors class? It’s not a red flag. Did you take Honors again anyway, even knowing you might struggle? That’s resilience, and it’s what colleges care about more than almost anything else.

The Grandma Test
One of the biggest blind spots Schneider sees in first-gen students is underselling themselves. We’re often taught to be humble, but for this, you need to be your best advocate. “You have to see the value in all that you do,” she says. Her trick: Imagine your grandmother bragging about you. What would she say? That you’re a great singer? A science genius? The nicest person she knows? Your accomplishments don’t need to be extraordinary, but you do need to talk them up.

Be sure to include everything you do, everything you’ve tried, from that questionable history fair project to an ill-fated year in the marching band. Find a way to celebrate what you learned from each attempt and weave it into your story.

Do the Work
Schneider encourages students to dig past the glossy brochures and colorful websites. Look up 10-year graduate outcomes, like job placement, alumni contributions and average incomes. Tools like the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” can help you find schools similar to ones you already love or even give you a place to start; you can access the digital version through your library app (like Sora or Libby), and your school counselor almost certainly has the paperback.

Find out what a school is really looking for in applicants (beyond test scores and GPA). How? Introduce yourself in a professional email to the admissions reps at each school on your list. If you visit campus, make an in-person appointment with them, too. Ask thoughtful questions and let them get to know you. “It’s harder to say no to someone you’ve met,” Schneider says.

And yes, you can ask AI to suggest or compare schools, even to find scholarships. Just double-check everything it tells you. “Use it as a thought partner,” cautions Schneider, “not a decision-maker.”

Tl; dr
Schneider’s best overall advice is simple: “Start early. Don’t give up. Ask questions. And keep a calendar! A spreadsheet is your best friend.”

Bonus tip: “Nothing on the application is optional.” If there’s a question about your favorite color, answer it — because somebody else certainly will. You don’t want to look less motivated or interested than your competition.

Finally, Schneider believes with her whole heart that if you are thoughtful, intentional and go through the whole process, “you will end up where you’re meant to be.”