Parents with freshmen just starting high school often fall into one of two camps—those who think the time for college planning is still years away, and those who worry that one seemingly innocuous decision on day one could derail their student’s college future.
I’d recommend something in between those two.
It’s too early to start strategizing for admissions to supposed dream schools (there is no magic formula for admission to selective colleges—don’t obsess over finding and following one). It’s too early to do test prep, too early to measure every decision by its reported college admissions value, and frankly, far too early to feel anxious about college.
But it’s not too early to have conversations, to teach and encourage kids to take responsibility for their educations, and to get comfortable seeking advice from good sources. Here are two past posts to help, one with lies people tell high school freshmen, and another with some advice to help freshmen get off to a strong high school start.