For some of you Sparklers, your college search probably began in the third grade, when Mom and Dad took you to their alma maters, bought you a sweatshirt, and waxed poetic about how you'll follow in their footsteps someday. Since then, your life has been filled SAT prep classes, trips to the guidance counselor, and AP classes all designed to get your into your dream school.

For others, however, it's entirely possible to make it most of the way through high school and realize you're none too sure about what you need to do to get to college. Take this email we received:

Hello my name is Megan and I'm a junior at high school. I have no idea where to go and what the reality of life is yet. Like with the costs and the time and the hardship none of it has hit me. ALL my friends want me to go where they are going and I just want to be happy and go to college to get somewhere and become someone! But to get there I know nothing like SATs or ACTs and I have no idea what I need or have to do to prepare myself for it. I just want to go to college not have to stress all the "what ifs." Please help me.