How early is too early? Some would say “never.” One program described in a New York Times column is geared to making five- and six-year old first graders “college ready.” (Crayons are involved.) Another school mentioned in the column arranges campus tours for ten- and eleven-year-old students.
The most logical time to start college planning, however, is a year or so before you enter high school. At this point you can take steps that have immediate impact, as described below. You can make your eventual undergraduate application process more successful and less stressful while also adding challenge and fun to your current life.
Already in high school? Read on. It’s definitely possible to start early planning a little “late”—just keep an eye on testing and other deadlines too.
Know Yourself
Self-knowledge will help you present yourself to colleges effectively and start you off towards choosing a university and a field of study. Take some long-term dedicated time to think and take notes about your strengths, interests, and preferences.
What are your ideals and passions? What events have shaped your life? What would you say is special about you, whether positive or something you’ve worked to overcome? Thinking through answers to these questions will help you with college essays and interviews.
Begin writing a “wish list” of what your ideal university would be like.Include everything even if it seems silly or too much to demand. You can decide later what’s essential; this list will help you find good matches and compare them. In what country would your dream institution be, or how close to home? Would it be big or small? City, suburban, or rural? Facilities and activities? Fields of study offered?
Field of study will be particularly important and central to university life. You will need to choose a field of study by the time of application in the case of some institutions, for example most in the United Kingdom. Other undergraduate programs, for instance in the United States, may allow you years to decide, but you will still benefit by having narrowed in on specific fields from the start.
Your choice of field and eventual career may in the end involve many factors, from family wishes to job market demand. To be fully happy, however, you will want a choice that fits with your interests and your abilities. The earlier you start exploring options the more you can test your ideas and the better you can ensure you are prepared for the major.
Starting on the project of determining what field to pursue can be as easy as writing out what you’re good at and what interests you, perhaps asking supportive friends and family members for their opinions. There are also free online tools to help, such as the College Board BigFuture site and many others.
Consider Curricular Choices
Are the classes you are taking now the ones that you will need for the high school classes that you will need for the types of college programs you are considering? Try talking with your teachers about requirements as well as ways to move up if you’re not where you want to be. You may also want to do your own research.
Look at other academic issues too as you and your parents choose a secondary school:
- Do graduates of the school typically go on to university? How often do they go to universities in other countries (particularly those of interest to you)? Does the school seem known for academic strength, ideally with a good reputation among universities internationally?
- What opportunities are there for advanced or honors study? What about international curricula such as the International Baccalaureate Program or the AP International Diploma?
- What awards, achievements, or advantages (low student-teacher ratio, top-notch facilities….) does the school hold?
Explore and Achieve Beyond Academics
You’ll also want to look at what opportunities beyond the classroom schools offer. Are there sports teams that you might play on? Opportunities in music, theater, or other arts you enjoy? A debate club? A group for students with your career interest?
“Extracurriculars”, activities that you pursue beyond your classes, are good to show on college applications and almost an essential for many selective U.S. colleges. Admissions officers look for long-term engagement and in-depth involvement (ideally over several years, which is why it’s great to start young) .
Many schools don’t offer a wide range of extracurriculars. What can you do? Explore what may exist around the community where you live. Nothing there? Consider organizing the activity or group yourself. Running even a small event or organization can get you big points with colleges for leadership ability. Don’t forget to check the internet for resources–perhaps you could even start a new student chapter of a worldwide organization.
Your extracurriculars don’t have to be related in any way to the field you plan to study. We’ve mentioned sports, the arts, and debate. Another opportunity is volunteering to provide community service. This could mean anything from cleaning up the environment to tutoring to providing comfort at a hospital, and more. A recent column on the Egyptian Streets website describes a few options. See what else you can find that suits your interests and abilities.
Some organizations will have age limits in place so you may have to wait a year or more to start. The same condition may hold true for holding an internship in a field of interest or even a typical part-time job, both of which are extracurriculars valued by colleges (a job unrelated to your planned field of study can still showcase your ability to balance work and school). That said, it can’t hurt to ask now and show your interest.
Build Skills
Start simple. Good study habits are something you can benefit from for all the years before college. You can find much study habit advice on the internet as well as elsewhere. Author Daniel Wong has one particularly extensive but easy-to-follow list.
Independent reading is another good habit, one that has proven to raise test scores. Start reading for pleasure if you don’t already, ideally at least half an hour a day outside class. If you’re reading in Arabic, that’s fine. If you want to read in the language of the country in which you want to go to college, try to get recommendations from your language teacher. Here’s one short list of books recommended for teens by the language learning online community EnglishClub.
Any reading will work as long as it’s something you enjoy or at least find interesting. And that is the secret of so much of the undergraduate admissions process. Find what you like and pursue it, explain it, build on it. You’ll do best when you realize the process can be not a chore but an opportunity for exploration and achievement. Right now. Early or not.
Newton Education Services is pleased to help you start your journey to higher education. If you have a question, type it in the comment box below or email it to us. Ask about our advising and test prep services.