When is the right time to start planning for college?

So, when is the right time to start planning for college? 

Did you think junior year or even senior year?

I bet some ambitious parents even thought sophomore year or first year.

Did anyone think middle school?

Well, if your child has Ivy League or Top 40 college aspirations, middle school is the time when planning should begin.

In order to be on an advanced math track for example, your son or daughter MUST take Algebra in the 8th grade.  That means he or she must take Pre-algebra in 7th grade and score well enough to be recommended for Algebra.  This means that if your child is struggling with math in 5th or 6th grade, you must intervene immediately. 

Three main factors influence admissions to highly selective colleges: academic record (or GPA), rigor of secondary school curriculum and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT).  I served as the director of a learning center for several years and I cannot tell you how many parents brought their children in for remedial skill work in the 10th grade. By that point, half of your child’s academic record has already been recorded and cannot be changed.  It may be too late!

Parents need to ensure that students have a solid academic foundation in middle school and the study skills to earn high grades.  Middle school sets the stage for an accelerated course of study in core subjects, as well as access to Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework in high school.  However, many Middle schools throughout the country do not have Guidance Counselors; even fewer have College Counselors.  Often students are “tracked” into regular or advanced courses of study based on teacher recommendations/observation alone.  Parents are not asked (or even told) which course of study their child will pursue.

Do yourself (and your child) a favor; talk to a college counselor as early as possible if your goal is to help your child gain acceptance to a top-notch college.  I suggest having your first college-planning meeting the summer before 6th grade.  A college counselor will work with your child to begin to assess strengths and weaknesses, recommend any needed remedial skill work, and complete interest and personality inventories to identify possible career pathways   

Remember, top colleges are looking for top students.  Give your child the opportunity to start high school with the skills and motivation to perform his or her best from day one.

Holly M. Asposto, Ed. M is an Independent College Counselor with Selective College Acceptance Counseling.  She has successfully guided hundreds of students through the college application process over the past 15 years.  Students who have worked with Holly are now attending Cornell, University of Southern California, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, University of California at Berkeley, Boston University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Call or email today for a FREE College Readiness Evaluation.  585-233-9502 or holly@getaccepted.org.