I don’t know about you, but when it came time for college applications for me (in the early 1990s), I was in the 11th grade. We met with our college advisor, filled out some forms, took the SAT, and filled out some applications. We hoped for the best, sometimes received the worst, and ended up in a variety of college and university settings. It was just a few of us who knew the secrets and the systems.
Fast forward to 2022, where you can Google just about everything you need to apply to colleges, and the information overload is real. More and more people are talking about ways to move through the college process successfully, and one approach is to work early.
Here are five ways to begin the college process early:
Personal Development
At Evolved Education, we offer the Mindprint Learning Assessment, which provides information about 10 cognitive skills that affect learning in the classroom. In this way, we can support students to learn about their brains. With this knowledge, students can find best-fit solutions for how to study, learn, memorize, understand and more.
Academic Excellence
The golden rule for high school is to take the hardest classes you can take in your school and do well in them. This allows you to showcase yourself in the college process as a student who has challenged themselves and one who has the track record for managing that kind of work load. This becomes your “hidden resume” for colleges. If a class is difficult and a student needs solutions, they can have tutoring to support them.
Connection
Students are forming relationships with colleges by participating in pre-college programs, speaking with coaches as early as Sophomore year in High School, and participating in research performed at universities.
Competition
In having college counseling early, students can form competitive applications. There are so many capable students and the reality is that schools are looking for the polish of the applicant – the devil is in the details, so to speak! We work with students on their essays over time to ensure they are crafted with integrity and intention.
Early is On Time
Students are taking advantage of early options for the college process. Many students are taking college courses during the summer in their high school years. They are applying early decision and early action in their Senior Years. They are also committing to sport programs early on in their high school careers.
To learn more about starting your college planning process, please apply to work with us.
