Start prepping for college admissions in 9th grade – you’ll be happy you did
If you’ve started thinking about planning for college, the first question you’ll have is when is the best time to begin? Is there such a thing as starting too early or too late? If you’re in 9th grade and wondering about these things, then your gut feeling is spot on. As a general rule, we always say that each student and each admissions package is different, so there is never a single answer to how to prepare. But one universal truth is that the more time you give yourself, the more options you’ll have. Don’t procrastinate and end up limiting your choices down the line.
Take a look at the four reasons why you should start now.
1. There is a crazy amount of information to process
This is by far the number one concern among students. We know that every student has a different environment: some have a strong support system at home, while others need to take on college admissions without as much help. It’s always the figuring out part that is the most difficult and time-consuming. The sooner you get ahead of this, the easier it will be to build an amazing admissions package. Also, depending on your goals and field of interest, you may be faced with additional requirements that can only be achieved through years of training and specialization (e.g. athletic packages vs. majoring in engineering). Give yourself a head start.
2. There are endless options for activities
This is why it takes time to do it right, especially if you’re shooting for a school in Tier 1. The reason why it’s great to start early is because no one expects you to really declare a major by the time you apply. Although demonstrated interest is such a crucial part of any competitive application, the point of it is to engage in something you truly enjoy. Forcing yourself to produce results is going to be a very difficult place to be when you’re competing with students who are genuinely passionate about a topic. Spend a little time to figure out what you love doing to reduce the chance of you changing your mind down the line and losing a much bigger chunk of time.
3. Extracurricular activities have their own schedules
Juggling multiple test dates and outside activities that run on their own schedules is a challenge, but by starting early as a freshman, you can make things a lot easier for yourself. To help you track what kinds of extracurricular activities are available, we’ll be posting events to give you an overview of the big fields and also to prepare for events ahead of time. There are activities throughout the year that require anywhere from hours to months of work. If you’re a sophomore or a junior just getting started on your planning, you should also take full advantage of event updates that we’ll post.
4. You can map out your Common App essay with confidence
Once you start building up your application package with activities and events, you’ll have a much better sense of what will go into your Common App essay. Your transcript may be an official account of your performance, but it’s your Common App essay that will tell your personal story.
You may not want to sit down and try to draft an essay as a freshman, but you’ll need a mental map of what elements you’ll be able to work with later. The biggest recognitions and the stories behind how they impacted your exposure and relationship with your field of interest will be the cornerstones of your essay no matter the prompt that you choose. As you follow your mental map of your Common App essay elements, you’ll know which of your activities are keepers and what more you need to make your package even more competitive.
Down the line, you’ll have all of this in your treasure chest to pull out and use when you’re ready to write your Common App essay. Most important is that you get ahead and give yourself enough time to prepare.
