College Planning for Freshmen

Contributed by Joyce Mei, Hunter College HS (Class of 2015)

Freshman year of high school may seem very early to even think about college. However, in the competitive realm we call college admissions, it is never too soon to start preparing. A few things that students and parents should keep in mind are:

• Grades are official now - college committees, when looking at a student’s transcript, will see permanent records starting from freshman year. Because grades now become a permanent record, it is imperative to ask for help when students fall behind in any academic subjects.

• Explore potential careers by focusing on strengths and finding different interests.
  
• Look into standardized test requirements for 10th grade.
  
• Manage Time Well - Students may begin different activities outside of school, including part-time jobs or other extracurricular. Make sure that students have the opportunities to explore their interests, but that these other activities do not interfere with the child academically.
  

Starting the college planning process can seem like a daunting task, but beginning in freshman year will take out much of the stress of working on applications and make the student more prepared when the admission process comes around.