What should I prepare for as a rising 9th grader?

Answered

Hey! That's totally normal. I remember being profusely underprepared as well.

I would say any kind of music is a great thing to go into; journalism(like the school newspaper/magazine) is great as well - especially if you stick with it all four years; yearbook is really good as well, it helps make a good impression on admissions counselors that you're willing to go the extra mile to report on sports events. These are all really good options.

Summer camps are always really great as well, especially if your school will give you credit for them. For instance, between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I did a lineworkers' camp, and I received a quarter credit. Definitely check online to see if any colleges within your state offer some low-cost or free camps/summits, because those will be a great way to hone your academics and your interests. You can also check with your school counselor at your high school to see what programs your school may partner with over the summer to receive 'bonus' credit. You can also check with local businesses in your area to see if you can do shadowing, because I found that my local newspaper allowed people to come in and shadow. I shadowed the crime and courts reporter for the newspaper and had an absolute blast.

When it comes to subjects and being more productive, I have two primary pointers to give you: one, take every club and community service opportunity you can; this will help you to organize your time and boost your productivity. Two, since you're looking at architecture, definitely do as much math as possible, physics, art, and music classes. These classes, beyond your core classes, of course, will provide you with a solid basis of knowledge for how structures work, as well as how to design certain niche structures like auditoriums or theaters. I would also say maybe do some shop classes and interior design classes if your school offers them.

Regardless of your interests, you'll ultimately want to study the courses you're bad at a little more than the ones you're good at. This will balance things out so that you aren't trudging along in English class with twelve missing assignments while you're ahead by a full month in Physics(yes, this can happen).