RSC - Blog-195

According to tradition, 11^th grade is a good time to prepare for a college. A better time would be 9^th or 10^th grade. But the best time is 8^th grade.

Why 8^th grade? Because colleges today look at all four years of a high-school student’s record, meaning that if you buck tradition and start now, you’ll be in the best position when colleges pick over candidates and award financial aid.

How College Prep Works

While parents might want to consider financially planning for college early (practically from the day your child is born!) and developing their student’s interest in higher education as early as grade school, the hard work really begins in 8^th grade.

8^th Grade Steps in College Prep…

Career Interests. 8^th graders need to determine their career interests. They don’t need to pick the job they’ll be doing for the rest of their lives, but they should understand areas that interest them. Is it medicine, law, engineering, something in the arts, advertising, etc.? The best way to do this is to take personality tests and work-skill assessments that reveal their interests and abilities. Those results might even show them that they’re at careers they never considered!

High-school classes. Once a student has a list of interesting careers, they can pick high-school classes that meet those goals. They’ll know how much math and science they need, or perhaps a foreign language or business class. Using a 4-year planner now means getting on track to take the right Advanced Placement classes come senior year. An academic plan developed in 8^th grade will impress colleges four years from now.

Activities. Colleges and employers like to see leadership skills on your resume. By selecting high-school activities in the beginning of freshman year, you’re setting yourself up for leadership positions in 11^th and 12^th grade. Of course, that means thinking about those activities early – like 8^th grade.

Advantages of Preparing for College Early

There are other advantages to college prep, including developing good time-management skills, narrowing your list of colleges ahead of time, using summers wisely, and staying on top of your reading and critical thinking skills. Doing all this means you’ll have plenty of time for the important tasks that come junior year, like the SAT or ACT tests, visiting college campuses, leading various clubs and activities, and considering your financial aid options.

There’s a lot to do in 11^th grade. Getting some of it out of the way in 8^th grade, as well as 9^th and 10^th, makes it easier. You won’t panic if you’re prepared.

Your college prep is at the heart of the RSC program. Our college prep checklists, handbooks, worksheets, videos and online databases make it run smoothly, so that you’re not

scrambling to put it all together at the last minute.

Yes, junior year is the traditional year to begin college prep, but some traditions are made to be broken. 8^th grade isn’t early college prep; it’s smart college prep!

For more on how you can get started today, click here or call 800-898-4636. For only $225, this is the absolute best time to begin college prep. Start before summer is over!

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