"AM I READY?": COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS AS INFLUENCED BY ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

College preparedness is a crucial factor in ensuring students’ success in higher education. This study aimed to determine the extent of college preparedness among Grade 12 students and how it is influenced by their English proficiency and academic performance. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, with 100 Grade 12 General Academic Strand (GAS) students from Tapaz West Secondary School selected through random sampling for the School Year 2024-2025. To measure college preparedness, a researcher-made questionnaire was developed. English proficiency was assessed using a standardized instrument evaluating the four macro skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Meanwhile, academic performance was measured using students’1st Semester General Average. Findings revealed that students, regardless of their academic performance and English proficiency, demonstrated similar levels of college preparedness. However, results also indicated that students with stronger English skills tend to perform better academically. Overall, students exhibited an average level of English proficiency and a very satisfactory level of academic performance. The extent of their college preparedness was high, and while no significant differences were observed in their levels of preparedness, significant relationships were found between English proficiency and academic performance.