I worked part-time in my university's admissions office throughout my entire time in college. Working in the admissions office gave me the opportunity to talk to hundreds of high school students from all over the country, each one varying in interests and possessing their own unique background story.

Despite their different backgrounds, there were certain worries that a majority of the students shared in common. Here are ten things that I believe every student should know when applying for college, regardless of upbringing.

1. Don't worry if you don't know what to study in college yet

I think many students believe that you have to make a final decision on what you want your major to be in college before actually starting college. No, no, and no.

Colleges ask high school students for their academic interests because it's all part of the application process. The truth is that many undergraduate college students change their major once, twice, or even three times! And it's completely OK.

The first couple of years of college are meant to find out more about yourself and explore your interests. You don't need to have any final decisions made when starting college.

2. Community college has value

There are numerous misconceptions about community colleges, such as that they're for students who didn't do well in high school or that they won't lead to a good job in the future.

The truth is that community college can save you money, they allow you to get general education classes (which are required by all four-year colleges and universities) out of the way, and they can lead to wonderful opportunities in your education.

I have friends who went to community college for two years, worked hard for their grades, and went on to attend Ivy League schools for their last two years.

Community college is so valuable and beneficial for society. Do your research, have patience, and screw the stigma.

3. Apply for outside scholarships!!

Finances play a huge role in any college decision. Outside scholarships are any scholarships offered outside or apart from the college and/or universities you are applying for.

Some well-known companies such as McDonald's and Starbucks offer a wide range of scholarships for high school seniors. Browse the web, network, and search rigorously to find them. Your efforts will pay off in the end!

4. Utilize your high school's college resources

High school counselors and teachers are all there to help you. Unfortunately, not all high schools (specifically, public high schools) in the U.S. have a career center that prepares their students for college.

If you are lucky enough to have a career center or a college center on your high school's campus, PLEASE utilize this resource. If this isn't available at your high school, reach out to counselors or your own teachers for advice on how to navigate through this process.

I can assure you that all your teachers have been through the process of narrowing down schools, filling out scholarships, perfecting that personal statement, and more. They'd have some wise advice to share with you.

5. Be genuine in your personal statement

This is a hard one. In my experience, when reviewing your personal statement, colleges prefer genuineness and honesty over "showing off" or writing about what you think the college wants to hear.

Colleges have reviewed thousands of statements and can tell the difference between being genuine and being artificial.

Of course it's important to make sure that you're answering the prompt, your essay is well-organized, and that you triple check your grammar and spelling. But in terms of content and writing style, I would recommend leaning towards the genuine side and remaining humble.

You could write about your passions, your life experiences, your vision of how you'd positively contribute to the future of the world, and so many other things that distinguish us as humans. You got this!

6. Visit as many colleges and universities as you can

Both public and private colleges and universities offer visit days for high school students and their families, and many offer you to stay overnight on campus with a current student as well.

Take advantage of these opportunities and visit as many schools as you can if given the chance. Visiting a school doesn't mean you're committing to the school.

Visiting allows you to narrow down your preferences and also helps you learn what you view as pros and cons in a school. Check out the school's website to see what visiting options they have for you!

7. Contact the admissions office!

Admissions is here for you. Helping students and their families is a huge part of our job, so don't hesitate to contact a school's admissions office.

"Do you provide scholarships for sports? What are you looking for in my personal statement? What if I'm a first-generation student?"

These are all important questions to ask. You can call or email a school with any questions you have. There are no useless questions during this process, so go for it.

Sometimes we don't answer the phone because we're busy or we may not reply to your email right away, but if the staff is trained to communicate thoroughly and effectively with high school students, then we will get in contact with you eventually.

8. Consider the pros and cons of going to a small school versus a big school

This isn't an issue that many high school students may think about, but I find it important to consider at some point. If you consider yourself to be open-minded and you easily adapt to change, maybe this isn't something for you to worry about too much. Make sure to still give it some thought though. Here are the pros and cons that come to my mind when thinking of small versus big schools:

Small School Pros: Smaller class sizes allow you to have easy access to professors and build closer relationships with them. More research opportunities may be available. You'll always see familiar faces on campus (some people would consider this to be a con, though).

Small School Cons: Smaller schools tend to carry a higher tuition price tag. The number of major programs and classes the school offers may also be limited.

Big School Pros: You may have more options in terms of extracurricular activities, sports life, Greek life, and other social engagements. A higher number of students tend to keep the tuition cost lower in comparison to smaller schools, but every student's experience is different.

Big School Cons: You might have a hard time contacting your professors since your lectures may be filled with up to 200 other students. You may have lower chances of obtaining leadership positions in student orgs or student government in comparison with smaller schools.

9. Consider the pros and cons of staying in-state versus going to school out of state

I'm from California and went to college in Michigan for four and a half years. Here's what I consider to be the good and bad of my experience out of state:

Out of State Pros: You increase your network connections since you know people from another area of the country. You also learn so much about people who grew up in a different environment from you.

The biggest advantage for me has been becoming more independent. You're somewhat forced to become independent when you're far from home, but I view this as an advantage.

Out of State Cons: The most obvious con is that you're far from friends and your family. This means you may not go home for every holiday and may get homesick at times.

Also consider that you may have to buy another car or heavily rely on public transportation to get around. You may also find yourself in numerous long-distance friendships or a long-distance relationship, and these take so much effort to maintain when you're away.

My good friend from high school mentioned these pros and cons to me of staying in-state for college:

In-State Pros: You can see your family often if you choose to do so. Traveling for the holidays will also be significantly cheaper. Lower tuition is often offered for students in their home state, compared to traveling out of state.

In-State Cons: You may not be pushed out of your comfort zone as much as if you'd like. If you stay local, you may also run into many familiar faces from high school (however, this could be both a pro and a con depending on the person).

10. College is not the route everyone chooses after high school, and this is completely fine

College applications and college in itself can be a stressful season. I know firsthand how society and our parents pressure us to go to college right after high school.

I've met some people who have found that college isn't the route they want to take. I've met people who took a gap year or two between high school and college. I know people who never took an interest in going to college.

I think college offers a wide range of opportunities, but I also think there is no "right route" that every person should take when making this decision.

I have friends who graduated from college and are doing fine. I also have friends who never went to college and they're also doing fine. Wherever you may be on this journey, choose to do what you think is best for you.