Grade 9

9th grade is not too early to start preparing for college. Some of what you do in 9th grade will impact your college applications (especially at U.S. colleges) and influence admissions decisions. Many seniors wished they had developed good study habits or knew more about what they would need to do to get into college when they were freshmen. Also, if you have the mindset in 9th grade that you’re going to college, you’ll be much more likely to stay on the path to achieving your college goals regardless where you matriculate.

Below are the four most important tips for 9th grade college planning that will prepare you for any college/university.

#1: Get Good Grades

Grade 9 grades do matter for college admissions, especially in the U.S. Colleges will look at your freshman year grades, and your grades in your freshman year will influence your high school GPA and class rank.

Furthermore, if you get good grades in your Grade 9 year, you’ll be more likely to get good grades in your sophomore and junior years. You will have developed the skills and habits that will allow you to continue to be successful academically.

Learn more about how to get a 7.0 and better grades. If you don’t do as well as you’d like in your Grade 9 year, it doesn’t mean that your college dreams are doomed, though. Undoubtedly, your sophomore and junior year grades are more important to colleges.

#2: Get Involved in Extracurriculars

Other than your grades and test scores, your extracurricular activities probably have the biggest influence on the quality of your college applications. Colleges, especially top colleges, want their students to have exceptional achievements outside of the classroom, and they’re looking for individuals who use their leisure time to pursue their passions.

Some students believe they need to be well-rounded and do a ton of extracurriculars; however, for college admissions, it may be more advantageous for you to exhibit excellence in a particular activity or field. You should be participating in extracurricular activities during your freshman year of high school. Colleges prefer to see a sustained commitment to your activities. It’s more impressive to do one activity for four years and continue to show growth in that activity than it is to start doing a bunch of activities in your junior year. Furthermore, getting involved in extracurriculars now increases your odds of gaining leadership positions or winning awards later in your high school career.

#3: Start Preliminary College Research

When you’re a freshman in high school, you don’t need to know which college you want to go to. You don’t even need to have much of an idea of which colleges you want to apply to.

However, you can start thinking about what you’re looking for in a college. What do you want to study? What geographic region do you want to be in? You can play around with college finders to get an idea of different schools that may be good for you. You can also visit local college campuses to see what they're like and get a small taste of college life.

Once you have an idea of a few colleges that may interest you, you can get a better idea of what you need to do to get admitted. For U.S. colleges/universities, Google "PrepScholar [name of school] admissions" to get the acceptance rates, average GPAs, and average standardized test scores. If you know the grades you'll need to get into different schools, that can help you stay on track. Furthermore, you can also go on colleges' websites and look at their admission requirements so you know which classes you should be taking.

It's perfectly OK if you're unsure at this point what you want in a college, and it's very possible that you'll change your mind several times before you graduate from high school, even if you think you know where you want to go. Keep in mind, though, that it's good to start thinking about college in general and to realize that what you do throughout high school will impact your college options.

#4: Involve Your Parents

Parents often have fears or concerns about college planning. If you get them involved early, they can be more supportive and helpful.

If your parents are pushing you to go to college or are generally stressing you out about college, you can try to reassure them by letting them know you have a plan (make sure you have a plan first). All of you can read this article and our other articles about college admissions.

What Not to Worry About as a Freshman

While it’s good to start thinking about how to plan for college in the 9th grade, you should remember that you still have substantial time to prepare yourself for college. Try to avoid stressing about college now. Your education and future are important, but so are your happiness and emotional well-being.

Here are some specific aspects of planning for college that you don’t really have to be too concerned with in 9th grade.

Standardized Testing: SAT, ACT, Qudarat

Most colleges require you to take standardized tests to gain admission. A higher score will increase your chances of getting into selective colleges.

In the 9th grade, you don’t have to actively prepare for these tests, but you can start to familiarize yourself with them and the skills you’ll need to acquire.

For example, the math section of the SAT and the ACT tests you on algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Most likely, you’ll need at least a couple of years of high school math before you’ll know enough to be able to maximize your score. Also, your reading and writing skills, which are tested on these standardized tests, will improve with continued reading and the work you’ll be doing in your English classes.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in attending a competitive summer program that requires you to submit SAT or ACT scores, then you should spend more time during your freshman year preparing.

Learn about how to study for the SAT/ACT as a 9th grader. If you start doing some consistent light test prep early, you'll be more ready and relaxed when you're taking these tests during your junior or senior year when your schoolwork will be more rigorous, and you may be working on your college applications.

At this point in your high school career, you should spend the majority of your time developing the skills and qualifications to give yourself as many college options as possible. Keep in mind that you will have many more options if you have a high GPA.