A lot of people freak out when they hear the idea that they should think about college freshman year. But the whole application process is really a four-year journey and freshman year is the foundation. It doesn’t have to be intimidating. Think about freshman year as a time to explore your passions and position yourself for success in the future so it doesn’t pour down on you in your junior year. Then, you should spend sophomore, junior and senior year expanding upon what you’ve started to build.  In other words, it’s a marathon, not a sprint and we recommend starting your run at a nice, easy pace early on.

FRESHMAN YEAR

We often talk about the best strategy as one in which you build a brand for yourself. The next four years should be, in part, about cultivating expertise in a specific academic niche. Colleges are interested in building classes of superheroes in very specific areas so that these people go on to be the best in their fields and bring in a lot of money to the school endowment down the line. You don’t need to worry about all that when you’re just 14, but it is good to have some context. We recommend using freshman year as a launching point to explore what academic niche might be right for you. You probably know by now which subjects in school you don’t love and which ones really light you up. Try to dig a little deeper academically. Let’s say you know you love history. Did you do a report in middle school on a particular period of history that really interested you? If so, consider exploring that niche further.

Freshman year you can start to flesh out your extracurriculars. Think about which clubs support your niche and take on a leadership role.  Don’t have one at school? Start one. If you’re interested in something like entrepreneurship, start a side business. Plant the seeds that will grow over the next few years such that freshman year you are taking on roles in 2 clubs or activities that elevate your specific academic brand. By sophomore year you should be president and by junior year you should be expanding these activities into something bigger.  

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Sophomore year is a great year to get ahead so that you’re not freaking out next year. This is the year in which we encourage our clients to build their college lists. Start out by visiting schools to determine your preferences. It’s hard to get to know what you really like or don’t without visiting a campus. Determine whether or not you enjoy the feel of a big school vs. a small school, one that’s a train ride away vs. a flight away, a cold place or a warm place, a liberal arts college or a football vibe. Yes, go on the school-sanctioned tour, but you should also talk to real live students on campus who aren’t fed marketing lines from the university. Ask them what they do on the weekends and see if you can see yourself there.

Build a list of 10 schools for your college list and note their average GPAs and test scores, where applicable. Speaking of testing…most schools have gone test-optional for now, at least. Whether or not that trend holds, we recommend taking either the SAT or the ACT (and doing well). We cannot underscore enough just how competitive applying to college is these days. Submitting really excellent test scores to schools that consider them is a way to get ahead of the competition when you’re inevitably neck-and-neck with someone equally as qualified. Start by taking a practice test of each the SAT and the ACT at the beginning of the school year. See which one you score higher on and start studying hard.

Academically, you should be taking AP classes and doing well in them, especially those classes that support your specific academic brand. You should also be solidifying relationships with the teachers who will write your letters of recommendation. Make sure these are teachers who teach classes within your academic area of expertise.  

As for extracurriculars, build on what you started in your freshman year. Become the president of 1-2 clubs or expand upon the activities or projects you took on that fit in with your academic area of expertise. You can’t just sign up for the booster club and be a member for two years and expect to impress schools. Let’s say you’re really interested in mechanical engineering. By sophomore year, you should be president of the engineering club and winning robotics competitions, or something comparable that make sense to you. Jobs are great, too and schools understand that people need to make money. Find a job working with a mechanic during the school year. Don’t forget summers. Teach a kids’ robotics camp or get a great internship over the summer—just make sure you’re not going out and grabbing coffee or making copies. It should be a rigorous internship in your field of expertise.

JUNIOR YEAR

You should take your final SAT or ACT first semester junior year so that it’s out of the way and you can focus on your applications with ease. Junior year is a good time to take SAT II subject tests, too, if you’ve just finished a course relevant to that test. The key is to take it while the subject matter is still fresh for you.  Again, pick subjects that support your academic niche and do really well on them. Don’t submit mediocre scores.

Finalize that college list. Include 8-10 schools with a mix of targets, safeties and reaches. Academically, take AP classes and make sure you’re getting A’s. You should also ask teachers for letters of recommendation.  

Continue to build on your extracurriculars. If you were president of a club, see how you can expand the club. Don’t forget about summers! Consider using summer as an opportunity to be a professor’s research assistant in your academic area of expertise.  Take a (rigorous) summer course at a prestigious institution.  

Write your college resume and get your college essays out of the way over the summer, too. We encourage our students to use the essays as an opportunity to share a personally trait. You’ll need to jump off the page for the admissions counselor in a matter of minutes. Don’t just talk about an activity that’s already on your resume. Tell a story, in three parts, that demonstrates something about your character not present elsewhere. If you’re funny, use humor. Don’t talk about anything grandiose or existential. Tell a commonplace story about your commute to school, your bedroom, a fun thing that happened while you were babysitting a younger sibling, etc.

SENIOR YEAR

If you’ve planned well, senior year should be pretty smooth. That’s why this section is the shortest!

Continue to take AP courses and make A’s in them. If you’ve finished a course with a relevant SAT II subject test first semester, take it (and do well). First semester, continue to pursue extracurriculars and see where you can take actions and building something that will stand out. Follow up with teachers writing your letters of recommendation. Complete all of your college applications. Once you’ve gotten into the school of your dreams, continue to do well in your classes. All of the hard work will pay off.

Applying to college is a full, four-year journey. It can seem like a lot to confront, but the bottom line is, if you pace yourself, it’s really not so bad. Our biggest piece of advice is to find something specific you’re passionate about academically, dive in and expand upon it over four years. Yes, there are standardized tests and essays to write on top of it, but if you set yourself up for success and begin to organize yourself in your freshman year, it will all be manageable.

Need help planning out your college application strategy? Reach out to us. We’re great at helping kids develop a path for success.