Mikala Bush, college adviser at North Atlanta, is basically here at our campus to prevent juniors and seniors from freaking out. And what do those in this cohort freak out about? Getting ready for college.

Bush said the key to everything is preparedness. And she reminds that the process of getting ready for begins during a student’s freshman year. Club, sports team and extracurricular involvement needs to be every college-minded student’s priority. And involvement has to be real. It’s certainly not about showing up whenever food is present and leaving it at that. “Don’t just get pizza with them once a month,” said Bush.

College-minded students should not treat the PSAT as a joke, either. High scores matter. “You can get the national merit scholarship if you score high enough,” said Bush.

In terms of timing, Bush said that students should have taken both the SAT and ACT by spring semester of their junior year. And procrastinating about test-taking is never a good idea. As much as tests are important, so, too, is picking a college. And choosing means visiting colleges and looking at the majors they offer to see if they would suit you. Bush advises students not overload themselves with a huge list of colleges they are applying to. “It would be awesome if you had a limit of 10 on your list,” she said.

The actual application for college can come from that college’s website or through the Common App, a frequent go to that colleges share and that means students can apply to different colleges through the same application format. The only catch, Bush reminds, is that some colleges don’t use the Common App. But all applications require contact and family information, education and the courses you have taken, and essay, and a detailed list of your extracurricular activities.

In addition to the actual application, you need to send your test scores to your colleges of choice. Your transcript would be sent through parchment.com. Many schools require recommendation letters. “I think it’s awesome to do a recommendation letter whether it is required or not. It solidifies what you said in your application,” said Bush.

Actually getting ready to go to college is a whole another area. “Don’t think of leaving high school as a scary thought. Rather think of it as an exciting thought,” said Bush.

It’s important that you realize that college is just that. It’s not high school. You should embrace diversity and all things new. That’s to say: Don’t surround yourself with the same groups you did in high school.

College is coming. The best plan, Bush said, is to be ready for these all-important years.