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College Planning for Gifted Kids

Grades 7-9

College Planning for Gifted KidsDeciding on college starts with your own self-discovery. Once you can begin to answer questions about yourself -- your values, strengths, interests, and needs -- you're on the right road to matching who you are and what you want with what a college offers. Start with your grade, below.

Seventh Grade

In seventh and eighth grade, classes are divided into separate academic subjects. Take advantage of opportunities to explore and investigate new academic areas and extracurricular activities. Take time to learn about yourself -- your strengths, the subjects you like most, the extracurricular activities you might enjoy.

Examine and evaluate academic options that may be available in your community. For example, does your community have a high-school magnet program or school enrichment programs?

Search for summer programs or clubs that will allow you to explore your interests. Many summer programs offer a variety of opportunities to try new academic courses, earn high-school credits, refine skills, make friends, and live away from home. Check out the programs sponsored by regional talent searches, universities, and independent schools. Summer programs vary in quality; investigate them carefully. If the price of a program prevents you from participating, find out whether scholarships are available from the program or from local sources. Some summer programs offer partial scholarships to match local gifts.

Begin to think objectively and realistically about your abilities, aptitudes, values, interests, and how you learn best.

Begin to think about your aspirations and goals. Develop a preliminary plan to achieve them.

Seek ways to expand your horizons. Take risks and try new courses and activities. Some courses you take will appear on your high-school transcript. However, the grades you earn now will be far less important to colleges than the grades you earn in your junior year.

Learn a variety of ways to study efficiently and manage your time.

Improve your skills. Read widely (books, newspapers, and magazines); keep a journal; or write short stories, poetry, or prose. Enter contests. Are you working on a math or science project? Record your impressions and prepare a story about your work.

Look for opportunities to do volunteer work.

Ask your guidance counselor how to participate in a regional talent-search process by taking the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT-I), ACT Assessment Test, or other nationally normed test. Apply by November of this year. Students who require extended time or fee waivers should contact talent-search programs in early September.

Eighth Grade

Discuss the transition to high school with your parents and guidance counselor. Develop a master four-year plan: This should include an academic plan listing courses required for high-school graduation and courses you want to take during the next four years. You should also have a time-management plan that will address the hours you spend in classes; the hours needed for homework; and the time you require for extracurricular interests, family activities, rest, and relaxation.

Investigate career options and opportunities. When you meet an adult with an interesting career, ask her about it. Take career exploration tests such as California Occupational Preference System (COPS), FIRO, or JOB-O. While seventh or eighth grade is much too early to make college and career decisions, you can start learning more about yourself.

Volunteer your time. This is an excellent way to explore careers and develop community spirit.

Look for ways to strengthen your study skills in specific academic areas. Improving study skills can help you manage your time wisely.

Experiment with new academic courses and extracurricular activities. Broaden your skills. Learn how to ask good questions.

Plan a creative summer. Many programs have early enrollment deadlines. Start planning no later than December.

Ninth Grade

By this year, you should have developed a four-year plan that will help you decide how to use your in-school and after-school hours most effectively.

Review your four-year plan with your parents and high-school counselor. Get copies of the courses offered, the requirements for graduation, and an explanation of the grading system. Build a flexible schedule that will accommodate time for studying, extracurricular activities, working out, and relaxing.

Select the most rigorous courses you can handle. The more selective colleges will check to see whether or not your courses represent the most challenging program offered by your high school.

Think about additional academic areas you might like to explore that are not offered by your high school (e.g., philosophy, archaeology)? Consider a summer program and send for an application if the program has an early deadline.

Talk to your parents about financing college. What portion of college costs will be your responsibility? Do you need to work during high school?

If your high school includes a career center or multimedia center, get to know the people who work there and the resources available.

Look for opportunities in your community to share your talents with others by volunteering. Get involved.

Read widely. Exposure to different kinds of material will improve your vocabulary and language skills.

Familiarize yourself with the most recent version of the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT). Obtain a Student Bulletin (free from CEEB) to learn what the test is like, how students may prepare, and how scores are reported and used.

Investigate computer-assisted career guidance programs such as Career Options, System of Interactive Guidance and Information (SIGI or SIGI PLUS), or DISCOVER.

In the spring, review your four-year academic plan with your guidance counselor and parents. Decide which extracurricular activities you are committed to and which activities to eliminate from your schedule.

Grades 10-12Tenth Grade

Register for the PSAT, given in October. In eleventh grade, your PSAT scores will be used for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) and the National Merit Hispanic Scholarship. Scores don't count this year -- take the test just for practice.

Through the PSAT/NMSQT, you will probably get mail from colleges and universities that are interested in students like you. Start a filing system to organize the information you receive.

Become familiar with college-planning reference books and websites. Start making a list of features you might want in a college and surrounding environment.

Visit a nearby college and take a tour. Find out if your school has college videos.

Take SAT-II: Subject Tests at the end of this year in any subjects in which you have done well but do not plan to continue studying in high school (e.g., biology, foreign language). If you wait until junior or senior year, you may not be able to take as many Subject Tests as you want.

Plan a meaningful summer activity. Consider an internship, volunteer work, travel, or spending time with someone who works in a career that interests you.

Get more involved in your favorite extracurricular activity. Colleges look for depth of involvement. Look for leadership opportunities.

Look into careers. If your high school administers vocational aptitude tests, interest inventories, learning style inventories, or personality tests, take some of them and discuss the results with your counselor and parents. Select one or two careers to read about. Spend some time with someone who works in those fields.

If computer-assisted career-exploration software is available (SIGI and SIGI PLUS, DISCOVER, or Career Options), spend some time exploring.

By the end of this year, review your four-year plan and high-school transcript with your parents and guidance counselor. Plan for your junior year by signing up for challenging academic courses, but leave time for rest and relaxation, family activities, your favorite extracurricular activities, and community service.

Eleventh Grade

Discuss college plans with your parents and counselor. Attend local college fairs. Pick up information on admissions requirements for schools that interest you. Speak with as many college representatives as possible when they visit your school. Compare and contrast what they tell you, what you have read, and what you have seen for yourself.

Register for the PSAT. This year it counts!

Familiarize yourself with the most recent version of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT-I). Obtain a Student Bulletin (free from CEEB) to learn what the test is like, how students may prepare, and how scores are reported and used. Plan to take the SAT or ACT in the spring.

If your SAT or ACT scores are not as high as you expected, consider taking a preparatory course. Try to find a course in which the instructor will analyze your answer sheet, provide you with specific information on your strengths and weaknesses, and offer tips and hints on how to raise your scores.

Take SAT-II: Subject Tests in subjects you will complete at the end of this school year or in courses such as foreign language, even if you plan to continue.

If you are taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses and doing well, consider taking AP tests. Choose carefully. A fee is charged for each test, and studying for AP tests takes a lot of time. Ask your counselor about financial assistance for AP exams, which might be available from your state. Be sure you know what you hope to gain from taking each test. Some colleges offer exemption, credit, or both for AP grades of 3, 4, or 5. If you take AP tests, be sure your grades are reported to your high school and sent to the colleges of your choice.

Discuss finances with your family. Plan now for summer or part-time jobs if your family expects you to pay for part of your education. Begin early.

Keep up a good level of academic achievement. Balance work, play, and extracurricular activities. Colleges like to see an upward trend in your grade point average.

By the end of this year, review your four-year plan and high-school transcript with your parents and guidance counselor. Are you accomplishing your goals? Compare your courses with college admissions requirements and adjust your plan if necessary.

Junior Year College-Planning Steps
Prepare a college-planning portfolio that includes academic courses (including courses taken during the summer or after school), extracurricular activities, community service, achievements, and awards.

Save your writing samples. Some colleges ask to see all of the drafts as well as the final product.

Develop a list of 10 to 20 colleges. Work up a comparison chart. Include factors that are important to you, and keep in mind the following factors:

Be sure to ask for letters of recommendation before you complete your summer activity. Do not wait until the winter. You want people to write when they remember you best. Ask that the letters be addressed to "To Whom It May Concern," and give the letters to your guidance counselor as soon as possible. Keep copies.

Send away for application forms for 6 to 10 colleges.

Make appointments for interviews at colleges you plan to visit in the fall or winter.

Twelfth Grade

Continue to speak with college representatives who visit your high school. If you have a file on each college you are considering, make up a chart that includes:

List all deadlines. It is your responsibility to ensure that applications and supporting materials reach the colleges on time.

Make sure that your courses are described in your applications. Colleges know the rigor of AP or IB courses, but they might not know about "honors" courses in your school. Be sure your school profile or transcript supplement is included.

Consider using the "Common Application" (www.commonapp.org). Explore e-application websites like xap.com or one of the computerized methods for completing a college application.

Applications require objective and subjective information. Subjective information includes the presentation of extracurricular activities. Provide information that makes you "come alive" to the reader and that clearly demonstrates your ability to do college-level work. When possible, document your activities and demonstrate long-term commitment.

If your transcript is a "roller coaster" of ups and downs (grades that vary from A to F) or has any quirks that need to be explained, explain what happened during the tough periods and what, if anything, you learned.

Complete application forms no later than December, earlier if you are interested in early admission. Make extra copies of each application form. Use the copies for practice before filling out the originals.

Have someone proofread your application forms for neatness and spelling.

If colleges offer an interview, take advantage of the opportunity to give the college information about yourself that is not apparent from a review of your application and other records. Ask good questions. If you have a particular academic interest or want to combine academic majors, this is the time to ask how the college can help you.

Many colleges have eliminated on-campus interviews. Find out if you can interview with an alumnus.

The more competitive colleges require essays and detailed written analyses of extracurricular activities. If a college does not require an essay but asks a question in the application that allows you to write one, take the opportunity to do so.

Ask your teacher or counselor to review your essays. Spelling and grammar must be perfect, and neatness counts. Keep copies of everything you write.

Waiting Lists
If you are placed on the waiting list of a school you really want to attend, there are several things you can do.

First, ensure your place at a school that accepted your application by sending a deposit.

Find out what being on the waiting list means at the particular college (e.g., How many students do they usually accept from the waiting list, and do they rank students on the waiting list?).

Ask your guidance counselor to find out why you were placed on the waiting list. The reasons will help determine the best action to take.

Write to the dean or director of admissions, indicate your intent to attend the school, and ask for a review of your folder. State your reasons for requesting a review.

Consider attending your second-choice college or university for one year. You may have a better chance as a transfer applicant than as a graduating high-school senior if you can prove that you are capable of high achievement.

Submit additional applications to colleges with ?rolling? or late admissions policies.

After June 1, inquire about unanticipated openings. (This is called "summer meltdown.")

Spend a year investigating career paths: find an internship, work in a law office, or volunteer for a community service project.

Spend a year bolstering your academic weaknesses. Take courses at a local community college to prove that you can do college-level work.

Look for a sense of direction and begin again.