Wow! Look at you! Looking at college information before you even start high school! BRAVO!

While you can't really apply to college right this second, there ARE some really important things that you can be doing to prepare for college NOW.

STUDENT PREPARATION:

EVERY. YEAR. COUNTS.

Students apply to college with their cumulative grade point average from grades 9 through 11. Don't get it twisted --- what you learn in 6th-8th grade definitely counts! SO MUCH of what you need to learn and know in high school starts in middle school. You are building an important foundation for harder concepts. Practice those study skills, aim to do your best in each class!

EVERY. DAY. COUNTS.

Mastery of skills, especially in math and English, will be measured by standardized testing like MAP, and eventually perhaps the SAT or ACT, long after you finish learning it in class. Try to master the material from each day!

EVERY. MOMENT. COUNTS.

Positive community contributions, in and outside the classroom, matter! You may even have some of your middle school teachers for high school in our community! Build those relationships with your teachers -- they can connect you to important opportunities and may even write your recommendations one day!

EXPLORE.

WHO AM I? What are your greatest strengths? What brings you joy? Try lots and lots of new things! Spend quality time practicing your passions. Get involved in your local community. Service to others never goes to waste.

GROWN-UP PREPARATION:

College planning can and should begin as early as possible, but I'm also here to help manage the madness. Here's a handy, age-appropriate checklist from the federal government's student aid page on how to prepare academically AND financially at this stage! Consider reviewing this checklist with your child and talk about expectations, goals, and hopes surrounding college!

Middle School College Checklist

Scholarships are always a hot topic -- especially the desire for that "full-ride" or athletic scholarship . Realistically, what does it take to earn those? These extensive articles layout what makes a student competitive for these highly sought-after scholarships!

How early is too early to apply for scholarships? Well, never, it seems! Take a look at these lists to see if your child qualifies to apply for any of these scholarships for younger students. (This isn't an exhaustive list by any means -- Google searches can be really powerful, too!)

Want to look ahead?
Click here for a Month by Month rundown of how older students can prepare over time!

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