College planning: The 3 things we recommend HS juniors (and parents) do right now
Parents often ask our team (in regards to college preparation), "What can my child do right now?"
So we've decided we're going to answer that. Starting with the most important, HS Juniors, and working backwards (Sophomores, then Freshman) over the next couple of weeks.
As an aside, if your child is a HS Senior, our hope is they're done with most of this journey. Enjoy the remaining months with your senior!
On the theme of starting with who our methodology works best for, let’s start with Juniors and work backwards over the next couple of weeks.
My child is a HS sophomore (about to be junior), what should they focus on right now?
We're glad you asked. A good amount, but we’ll prioritize. Here are the top three things a HS junior can (and should) be working on right now to put themselves in the best position for college planning:
1. Sign up for one (1) SAT and one (1) ACT right now. Sign up today (link to SAT sign ups; link to ACT sign ups) for whatever test is next available in your area (as long as the application fee isn’t a serious financial burden on you). Then take each test, once, nearly blind. That’s right. Without studying! What?!!
That’s right. In our College Confidence Program, it’s actually mandatory for our HS juniors to take each test once without studying (or at a minimum, take a practice test at home). In my 13+ years of doing this, we've found that 90-95% of students have a strong preference for one test or the other. Instead of studying extensively for both...or arbitrarily picking one (50% chance you choose the one that does not correlate to your best testing abilities)...why not get a baseline of both your junior fall, assess scores of both, and then starting junior winter, go "all-in" on your favorite test? We've had this policy for years, but we must admit, haven’t really heard other college coaches preach this.
Which is why when we interviewed SAT-prep guru Larry Cheung, we asked him his thoughts on this methodology. Check out his complete thoughts on this methodology here (skip to the 19:10 mark for the question/answer).
By the way, if you've already chosen which test you're going "all in" on...wonderful. Now knock it out of the park!
2. Get your very first, no-big-deal college list somewhere outside of your head. P=MV. That’s the equation for momentum. We've got to give props to our good friend Isaac Newton, because our students harness momentum consistently in our program. We often preach "just get the ball rolling" with many tasks. You don’t have to get over complicated...you just have to start. And this methodology is applied in no better situation than a school list.
If we had a dollar for every time we've heard a student say "We kind of have a school list; it’s mostly in our head," we'd be pretty well-off. The reason the "possible school list in your head" method is difficult is it can lead to doubling-back. You see a school on ESPN during a football game and think, "Wow, that school seems interesting. I’d like to learn more about it." You make a mental note. And then, nothing...until of course March rolls around and you see the basketball team on CBS during March Madness. You think to yourself, "Wow that school seems interesting. I’d like to learn more about it…" You get the point. A list in your head rarely leads to action.
So how should you get that school list ball rolling? Simple: If you like good old fashioned pen and paper, start a paper school list. If you’re a spreadsheet person, start a Google Sheet (and share it with all family members who want to be a part of the college planning process).
The #1 speed bump we see: Families who say, "But (student name) doesn’t really have any schools she knows she wants to apply to yet"...This, of course, leads to no school list. We have some insight: As a HS junior, your child very likely will have zero schools she knows she’s going to apply to yet. That’s normal! Instead, think of the school list as an exploratory list. What schools do they want to learn more about? Then, next to the school name, keep track of notes and/or next steps. The screenshot below shows what all of our students use to keep track of their schools. But we promise, yours can be even simpler. The key, again, is just to get that very school list out of your head...then let momentum take over!
3. Grades, grades, grades: If you’ve been on our mailing list for a little while now, you’re likely tired of hearing this...but we're going to say it again. The single most important factor in college admissions is a student’s HS grades & the rigor of classes they take.
Nothing... and we mean nothing... is more important. The best college essay ever written still cannot overshadow a low GPA. But here’s the good news: not all HS semesters are weighted evenly in the eyes of college admissions. And, if you are an about-to-be HS junior (or parent of one) reading this, the good news is your three most important semesters are still on the horizon! They are: Junior Fall, Junior Spring, Senior Fall.
In our program, we start with this base first, walking through tips & strategies to perform exceptionally well in the HS classroom...while also reducing the time spent on homework (you would be shocked to hear that sometimes HS students aren’t the most efficient with their time...crazy!)
"CC.us Team - If you could only recommend two books for my high schooler to read to help with their academics, what would they be?" Here you go and here you go. Cal Newport’s study tactics changed our lives when we were a junior in high school (we went from a total grind student to straight A’s...not a single A- grade...and spent ⅓ the time on homework). Perhaps he can help your child as well.
We hope this was helpful for parents of HS juniors out there. If you implement even one of these three tips today, you’ll be significantly better off than the vast majority of your fellow junior-year peers. And if you implement all three? Watch out, world! You mean serious business!
To your college planning success,
Jack Delehey
P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny. Seriously. College admissions isn't rocket science...but it is a science. And we've cracked the code...year, after year, after year. You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.
P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!" The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).
