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Starting high school can be an exciting but ultimately intimidating experience – new classes, new teachers, new course work, and new opportunities.
You may have also heard that universities take into account accomplishments from all four years of high school and this may scare you. While colleges does look at your activities and grades starting from freshman year of high school, this does not mean that 9th grade has to be intimidating or stressful. In fact, if you've prepared and know what to do, college planning can actually be fun! Here's a essentials things you should mind:
1. Get Involved!
Colleges want to see passion, so find a few activities that you are zealous about and commit to them. I don't care if you love ballroom dancing, politics, math, roller derby, or even pageantry, but join something and commit 100%. You may not be the best in the club or sport right now but focus on honing in on your expertise, talent, and reputation in the activity. Remember quality is more important than quantity. Make sure to set yourself up for leadership opportunities in the following few years!
2. Study
Freshman year grades matter! If you slack off freshman year, it will be difficult to improve your overall GPA later on. Remember, when you apply to colleges you'll be mid-senior year and only have three (maybe, at most, three and a half) years of grades to show to colleges--make this year count!
3. Take Challenging Classes
Colleges may care about your grades, but they also care about the class rigor. If your school offers honors, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, then consider taking them! By no means overload yourself, but if you are passionate about STEM, then explore the advanced STEM classes. At the same time, if you struggled in English during middle school, then do not force yourself to take Honors English. Rather, take regular English and spend the time to improve yourself (and maintain your GPA). Bottom line is challenge yourself but take what you can handle, and make sure to maintain good grades in those classes.
4. Find a Mentor
Find an older student or adult in an area you are also passionate about to give you advice on relevant course work, clubs, and extracurriculars to join. Their advice may be invaluable and save you time or stress in the future.
5. Make summer plans
The summer after freshman year is a good time to get your first job or volunteer, or attending a summer program on college campus. You can also further your involvement in your extracurriculars or study for the (many) standardized tests that will be coming your way. Regardless of whatever you choose to do, try to accomplish at least something! This summer many not be as important as future summers, as some colleges specifically ask about the activities you've done the summer after your 10th and 11th grades, but is still an opportunity to build your skills and do something new, fun, and challenging!
6. Talk to your guidance counselor
Guidance counselors, especially in large public high schools, often have many, many students to look after and many other responsibilities beside college admissions.
Your guidance counselor plays a critical role in the college admissions processes for all his/her students. Many colleges require a recommendation letter specifically from your guidance counselor. They have a difficult job and limited time, so the responsibility is on you, the student, to make sure to schedule meetings with them as early as 9th grade as you begin to think about colleges.
Not a freshman? Check out our sophomore year and junior year checklists!