How early is too early to start preparing for college? Should you start in grade school? Should you wait until high school? How and when do you begin the process?
Grade School
Some type A, over controlling parents will tell you they start grooming their kids for college in grade school. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But on some level, it’s not that crazy. In grade school you help them form the foundation for academic success and the attitude of serving others. Both these character traits will serve them well as they begin the college prep process.
Middle School
Ideally, middle school students should begin the pre-planning process for high school. Course selection begins at this level as well, carrying on into high school.
Recognizing this need, John Ma, a college counselor, begins coaching students in the 6th grade:
Building up true interests and strong extracurriculars and leadership positions can help students thrive during the brutal top-tier college app season. Booksmart kids with high test scores and high grades are a dime a dozen, and strong academic performance is simply expected at top universities. Highly developed extracurriculars that reflect a standout character and strong communication and leadership skills significantly increase chances for admission.
Middle school is the place to begin developing the traits that colleges consider key in the application process.
High School
It goes without saying that students who enter high school should hit the ground running. The intense years of college prep begin as they become freshmen. From making wise course selection courses to establishing a commitment to community service to striving to excel academically, students who approach college prep early will reap the benefits of their preparation.
If you look at college preparation as training your child to excel in life, you can see that setting the groundwork for success early in life will alleviate some of the stress and pressure during the college application time. A student who has a strong academic record, a solid commitment over the last four years to one area of community service, and planned ahead for application time will be less stressed and more ready to approach the highly demanding months of senior year.
As I like to say–preparation prevents panic. And the college admissions process will be much smoother if you plan early.
I love these tips! I believe that if you start out early talking about college and saying “when you go” instead of “if you go”, encouraging good grades, and volunteering as a family, you are starting early to prep kids for college without pressure.