How should I plan for collegeAnswered
I am a 9th grader and have determined a bachelor's degree is my goal. My main question is how should I prepare for college in terms of applying, GPA, financial support, and preparation for college. Thank you!!
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I think it is a bit early to think about it too much, but one thing I wish I did as a freshman is to really invest in extracurriculars. As in not do as many as I can but do a few and invest a lot of time and effort into the ones I choose, especially if it is something I'm really passionate about or planning to major in. One thing you could do is plan what kind of classes you want to take in high school to best fit your needs, and goals; take advanced/accelerated classes where you see fit as well. Maybe start to look or apply to scholarships, but as I said you have a lot of time so I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you'd like maybe you can start looking into colleges or what you want in a college, but again you still have a lot of time.
Get a good start your freshman year and maintain a high GPA. If you are in the habit of studying and getting good grades, you will be able to continue that good habit more easily. Take courses that reflect your interests and challenge yourself through honors, APs, and DE classes.
Keep a clean record. Stay honest; integrity is important. Don't try to cheat on schoolwork. Develop good relationships with as many teachers as possible. Who knows? Some of them may notice your genuine interest and curiosity and then help you along the way.
Don't just do extracurriculars to do extracurriculars. Find ECs you are passionate about- even volunteering shouldn't be a forced activity. Pursue what you love. And if you don't know what you are passionate about yet or what kind of career you want to pursue, that's ok. You are just beginning high school and hs is a time to explore. So explore, explore, explore. Find that distinct thing you really love/enjoy and then make time to pursue it actively through ECs.
Write TONS of essays to prepare yourself for college applications. You can learn to write well if you start early and get feedback on your weaknesses/strengths. Collegevine is a great place to ask questions and get your essays reviewed.
As far as finances, you can begin applying to some scholarships. Start researching scholarships for freshmen. The no-essay scholarships are nice, but thousands of students enter them. It is a better use of your time and effort to enter scholarships that require something of you. This is another way you can practice essay writing. But there are also scholarships specific to your interests and demographics. Eg, if you are interested in agriculture, there are agriculture scholarships. Or, if you are from another country you can enter scholarships meant for students from the specific nation. Some websites you can check out are Bold.org, Scholarship points, Scholarship360, Collegexpress, Niche, and there are many more! But don't get so distracted by scholarships that your grades go down. Pace yourself. High school is a game of balance :)
To sum it all up, stay focused on your classes, activities, and most importantly, discovering who you are and what you were born for. I believe each person was born with a purpose and you are no exception. High school is a time like no other. Scary sometimes, but it can be really exciting and a wonderful space to grow.
Hope this helps you and if you have any questions, lmk!
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Oh, meant to mention that another thing you can do to prep financially is SAVE. As a 9th grader, there aren't many options, but if you get even little jobs like babysitting or lawn mowing, get into the practice of saving a certain percentage of your earnings. This will make a huge difference over time and help you develop healthy money habits. Also, there are special savings plans for college or other saving plans that you should look into. You basically put in the money and then cannot take it