Senior-itis is NOT okay. It could ruin your high school GPA and chances at honors programs and scholarships. It could also hurt your chances if you want to pursue an early acceptance, early assurance or accelerated program. It might also reinforce bad habits that may carry over into your first year of college. Keep working hard all four years of high school.

Prepare for the SAT and take it seriously. Take it twice if you like. Colleges use your score as a determining factor for admission and for merit-based scholarships and honors programs. Also, colleges typically use your SAT or ACT score to determine admission to early assurance or accelerated programs. Keep in mind that some colleges and programs will combine your highest math and verbal scores, while others will only accept your highest *single* score.

You will need to complete several of these courses in college as prerequisites for professional health schools. By taking at least one year of each in high school, you will be familiarizing yourself with the basic knowledge you need for these subjects. If you do not take at least one year of each of these in high school, then it is highly recommended that you take a basic introductory course once in college before moving on to the recommended course sequence for the subject.

You will most likely need two semesters of calculus in college as prerequisites for a degree or a science major. If you take too long of a break without studying mathematics, you may begin to forget key mathematical concepts that you will then need to relearn.

Professional health schools want students who write well and communicate effectively. By taking four years of English in high school, you will continue to learn new vocabulary and build skills necessary for college and beyond.

If you truly enjoy one of the sciences, then it is a wonderful idea to take an advanced course in that subject. Although many colleges will give you course credit for AP credits in biology, chemistry and physics, it is still highly recommended that you actually take the courses in that content area once in college. Be sure to speak to a prehealth advisor about your individual circumstances. View how UB accepts AP and other alternative credit.

Taking a foreign language provides you with a broader educational experience — something professional health schools look for in applicants. Also, many colleges include foreign languages in general education or core requirements, and taking several years of a language can help if you later choose to continue learning it in college.

Begin volunteering and performing community service, not just for high school graduation requirements, but to learn how to serve others. Professional health careers focus on serving patients and caring for others, so it's wise to develop a giving attitude now. Community service can be a lot of fun, and each community offers dozens of ways to get involved. You can find service opportunities that are health-related, such as for the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and United Cerebral Palsy, just to name a few or begin working with specific populations you would like to learn more about, such as day care centers to explore working with children or nursing homes to learn more about the geriatric community. Any community service is great!

This is probably one of the best ways to really learn what the career you’re interested in is like. You can start with shadowing your own doctor, dentist, vet, etc., if they are willing, since you already have a relationship with them. You may also wish to ask for referrals to their colleagues. You can also feel free to open the phone book and call another type of health professional in a specialization in which you are interested and ask if you can shadow them. Keep track of where you shadow and for how long. You will want to continue to gain these experiences in college.

If your high school offers a prehealth student club, join! It can be a great way to learn more about the field you are interested in and gain insight into health fields you may not have considered. It's also a fun way to meet and connect with other students who share your interests.

A must/want analysis is a list of factors that are important to you when choosing a college. Make a list of various factors as you research and visit colleges. Then, next to each factor, write what you have determined you “must have” in a college and what you “want” in a college but could do without. Then, as you compare and contrast colleges, apply to the ones that best match your “musts.”

If you are interested in colleges that offer early assurance or accelerated programs, find out the details now. Review websites and read through brochures thoroughly. If you qualify and are interested, apply for such programs. Apply to the colleges you have discussed with your parents and guidance counselor.

Taking elective courses such as psychology, sociology, computer science and public speaking will broaden your educational experience, developing you into a well-rounded student. If you qualify and apply for early assurance programs, these electives will also strengthen your application.