Far too often, students begin preparing for college halfway through their junior year, and realize that there are way too many things for them to do before the admissions deadline. However, with proper planning, it’s easy to avoid the headache and stress of last minute planning.
First of all, students should consider which colleges, or at least which tier of colleges, that they’d like to attend. More competitive colleges tend to have more requirements, so having a rough idea early on in high school of the caliber of college you’d like to attend will make the preparations much easier. Elite universities want to see more APs, SAT subject tests, stronger extracurriculars and internships than less competitive schools. Also, aligning freshman and sophomore years of high school to knock out prerequisite courses is crucial so that APs are possible within junior year. AP tests taken senior year are less helpful because AP exams happen at the end of the school year, and will be scored after college applications are submitted senior year.
Students should also work to avoid filling their first two years of high school with easy courses. This is tough, since the new-found freedom of course selection in high school often leads to slacking. Students can choose easy courses that guarantee an easy A, but these aren’t going to transfer well into more competitive and difficult courses later on in high school. Given that most high school students spend less than 10 minutes with their high school counselor per year, it’s imperative to have solid guidance on how to build out a 4-year plan starting freshman year of high school. While AP courses do not have any set prerequisites, high schools usually require their own set of prerequisite courses before allowing students to take APs. Each high school is different on these requirements, but missing a course mandated by your school for an AP can put you out of contention for limited seats in AP courses junior year.
Most high school students wait until at least the second semester of their junior year, if not later, to begin preparing for their college admissions tests (The SAT or ACT, plus additional SAT subject tests). At this point, they’re in the most stressful year of high school, with the most competitive courses, and have to juggle courses, extracurriculars, and test prep. Getting ahead, and taking the SAT/ACT early will set you up for an easier junior year, and also open up ample opportunities for tutoring or retesting if necessary. Also, many students are electing to take algebra I/II, and geometry during their freshman and sophomore years of high school. Since these courses are those tested on the math portion of both the SAT and ACT, it’s a great chance to take the test while the material is still fresh. Waiting will mean students need to relearn a lot of the test material.
Lastly, but certainly not least of all, is the benefit of exploring options by starting early. Students that start looking into colleges during their freshman and sophomore have more opportunities to visit, take tours, and determine not only the college, but the city that they want to spend the next four years of the life living within. Along with that, students starting early can often find summer academic or extracurricular opportunities on campus at some of their favorite schools; nothing helps determine if a school is right for you like actually attending for a few weeks.
Starting early within freshman year, and continuing all throughout high school, students should always work to maintain high grades in difficult courses. Determining which tier of schools are the best fit will help identify some of the other goals along the way. Finding optimal extracurriculars and volunteerism that fit with students interests and passions early in high school allows students to volunteer more hours and develop better relationships with their volunteer organization. Scheduling the SAT/ACT earlier in high school alleviates some of the pressure of junior & senior years. Following an aggressively early approach to college prep will always position students to open doors to universities that couldn’t have been opened without proper preparation. However, the road is still filled with road blocks, and navigating the complex process alone is tough. Work with a college consultant and dramatically improve your odds of getting into the college of your dreams. You’ll save on tuition and end up at a better university. Connect with Brains and Brawn today!
-Mark Wilson, Director of Curriculum Development and Design