Dream of becoming a doctor? A vet? A marine biologist? Or maybe you’re like, really into bugs. Or just really, really love Grey’s Anatomy. If you’re here, you’re most likely a) a freshman in high school and b) maybe interested in studying biology in college. Thankfully, we’re here, and we can help!
“I’m not even 100% sure I want to study bio in college. Also, I am approximately 14 years old (based on the average age of a 9th grader), isn’t it too early to think about college??” Okay, first of all, we love the intensity of this line of questioning, but NO it’s not too early to think about college! Every day of high school, starting from day 1 of freshman year, counts in your college apps. And as to the “want to study” point, that’s kind of why we’re here.
When we work with 9th graders, our primary focus is on planning their summers. However, we also like to provide some guidance on what you can do to explore your interests on your own so that when you join us sophomore year, we can hit the ground running
Explore What You’re Interested In
Biology is one of the most popular majors at top-tier colleges (like, across the board), which means it’s one of the most competitive topics. It’s also a really broad topic (the study of all life!!!) and includes a wide variety of subtopics and disciplines, including everything from astrobiology to ecology to zoology to anatomy. When you apply to college as a biology major, you need to have a little more than just “bio” on your application, which means you need to start exploring what you like about biology to find that deeper topic.
When we help plan summers, it’s important for us to know why students are interested in biology. Did they like the class in school? Is there a particular topic or lesson from bio class they enjoyed? Do they have career aspirations that have informed this decision? Where did those come from? These questions help us get down to a more specific interest, so when we plan summers, we’re able to direct students toward the right path. But these questions can also help you navigate your exploration of biology.
We want you to get to a niche — a very narrow topic within the field of biology that you can become a sort of amateur expert in. If you want to study bio because you want to be a doctor because you help take care of your grandma with Alzheimer's, your focus might be more on neuroscience and drug development to fight plaque in the brain, or it might be on genetics and understanding how this gets passed down. Those are niches. “Bio” itself is not.
You don’t need to have this 100% figured out today, and it can take years to develop a niche, but you can’t have a niche if you don’t start exploring. As a potential biology major, you should start by reading books and taking classes in your interest areas. As you progress through entry level classes, take note of what interests you in particular and continue taking classes on those things. It also doesn’t hurt to stay up-to-date and informed on health and medical current events, either!
Do Well in School
There seems to be a misconception that your grades do not matter freshman year, especially if you do better with each subsequent year. This is simply untrue, and colleges care about your grades from the moment you cross the threshold of your high school. Top-tier schools want to see you getting the best grades you can in the hardest classes your school offers, and that starts on day one.
And look, we know adjusting to high school is hard. A lot of our clients might be making the transition to a college prep school, or they’re already taking APs in 9th grade, and if you’re already struggling, you need to take the initiative to get a handle on the situation. Access all the resources you can – meet with your teachers, take advantage of peer tutoring, hire an out-of-school tutor, learn good study habits, etc. Don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help.
Extracurriculars
As a freshman, there aren’t a ton of things you have a lot of control over, but extracurriculars are one of them!! While you might not have a lot of choices in what classes you can take, you can build out an extracurricular profile that allows you to explore biology and, later down the line, prove to colleges that you’re actually excited about the topic.
There are a lot of things you can do as a potential biology major, like joining or starting a biology club at school! Depending on what you want to do and why, you could start a fundraiser to help fight a specific illness or to help save an endangered species. You could volunteer at the hospital or animal shelter, join a Women in STEM organization, or start a birdwatching society, truly, the options are endless. We want to encourage you to use this time wisely – don’t just join a bunch of unrelated clubs or sink all your time into JV track because it “sounded cool.” Be purposeful with your time!
Summer Plans
Planning your summer is where we come into the picture. At 91̽, we work closely with students to help them figure out what it is they like about biology and then help match them to summer opportunities that will allow them to explore biology further and more in-depth.
Summer is your largest, uninterrupted block of time. Don’t waste it! We know it’s more fun to lounge around and binge TV and hang by the pool, but if you have your sights set on a top-tier college, you need to spend your summer wisely.
The easiest way to get in-depth biology experience during the summer is through summer programs. There are pre-college programs at schools like UCLA, Harvard, UPenn, Brown, Columbia, Yale, and UChicago, as well as specialized intensive and/or research programs dedicated to biology run by a variety of institutions that allow you to learn about biology and explore your interests further.
By getting to know our freshmen and their interests, we help them find the right programs for them. We help them brainstorm, write, and edit their applications to programs, help them ask for rec letters, and help decide which programs (once accepted) are the right fit.
Freshman year is not too early to plan for college! Especially if you’re interested in something as broad and competitive as biology. Start figuring out your interests early, do well in school, and let us help you plan your summer!
Freshmen, if you want to start strategizing for college, or just need help planning your summer, reach out to us today.