The road to college is anything but easy, and many parents begin to feel the stress and anxiety heighten during high school. Your tenth grader essentially has one more year before they need to turn in their college application. As a parent, you may find yourself thinking more about your child's path to college. While it may seem like the college application process is still a long way off, setting realistic goals during their tenth-grade year can greatly benefit your child (and yourself) in the long run. This article explores some tips and advice on how to help your tenth grader set realistic college goals and stay on track with their application.
Encourage Exploration
When helping your tenth grader set realistic college goals, encourage them to explore their interests. This may happen through clubs and extracurriculars or through pre college programs in STEM or theater and arts. High school is a time for students to try new things and discover what they are passionate about. Encourage your child to join clubs, sports teams, or other extracurricular activities that interest them. This exploration can ultimately set your child up for their future career trajectory and inform how they contribute to their community. Through activities your child can develop valuable skills, build their resume, and potentially discover a passion and focus that they may want to explore in college.
To promote intellectual growth, it's also important to encourage your child to take a variety of classes in different subjects. Taking a variety of classes can help them figure out what they are good at and what subjects they enjoy the most. It's okay if your child doesn't know exactly what they want to study in college yet — high school is a time for exploration and self-discovery. Tenth grade, especially, marks one year until your child will need to begin drafting their colleges essays. Remember, their activities will make up the core of this part of their application.
Set Academic Goals
Academic success will inform admissions committees about what kind of coursework your child will be able to take on during their undergraduate tenure. It's crucial that you help your child to plan a courseload that sufficiently challenges them, but also is manageable enough for them to perform well. To do so, encourage your tenth grader to set academic goals for themselves that foster communication with their teachers, mentors, and you. As a parent, you can help your child to develop good study habits, time management skills, and effective test-taking strategies. Always encourage them to seek help from teachers or tutors if they are struggling in any subjects. Setting a strong foundation for communication helps your child to create ongoing dialogue and more readily ask for help when they need it, before a larger problem pops up.
Monitor your child's progress in school and to communicate regularly with their teachers, too. Help them to get acquainted with college coursework and college life by not doing everything for them, but guiding them to make their own decisions. Encourage your child to strive for good grades while beginning to prepare to take the SAT or ACT exam in their junior year.
Research Colleges
Building the college list and finding college fit will be the most crucial component of your child's college preparation. Your child's college list should include easy reach (admittance schools), medium reach schools, and reach schools that are appropriate for them. Help your child consider what they want and lay out important things to consider. Often, this will require more thorough research and mean that your child will have to look beyond college brochures and websites. Beginning to research colleges early will help your tenth grader set realistic goals for their future and determine what is important to them in a learning environment. For example, if your child thrives in urban spaces, it's likely not going to be wise for them to consider a rural college campus. Help your child to explore different colleges and universities, both in-state and out-of-state, too. Then, create a list of potential schools that align with their interests, social preferences, academic abilities, and career goals.
Factors such as location, size, campus culture, and available programs when researching colleges also must play role. If your child thrives in smaller classes, then it will benefit them to consider a Liberal Arts College, which will offer small courses and more personalized instruction. Consider visiting college campuses, attending college fairs, getting in touch with currently students through the admissions office, and meeting with college admissions representatives. Each of these points of outreach can help them get a sense of what type of college environment your child may thrive in.
Financial Planning
College is expensive. Many families must take out loans or rely on scholarships to fund the cost of attendance and tuition. It it's important to start thinking about financial planning early on as a family. Encourage your tenth grader to apply for scholarships, grants, and financial aid to help offset the cost of tuition. Help your child understand the different types of financial aid available and how to apply for them, too.
Start saving for college as early as possible. Consider opening a 529 college savings plan or contributing to a college savings account for your child. If you have a 529 in the state of Philadelphia, your family is eligible to enroll in SAGE Scholars Tuition Rewards and begin building up redeemable points at over 450 consortium colleges. Encourage your child to start thinking about part-time jobs or internships that can help them save money for college expenses. Most importantly, explain to them the difference between the cost of tuition and the cost of attendance. Cost of tuition covers just that: tuition. It does not include things like housing, meals, and other living expenses. This is an important factor of consideration that many children and parents do not fully consider.
Create a Timeline
Creating a timeline can help your tenth grader stay on track with their college goals. Sit down with your child and help them map out a timeline for the college application process. This can include important dates for taking standardized tests, researching colleges, visiting campuses, and submitting applications. The SAGE Scholars Newsroom include college planning timelines for every grade:
Encourage your child to start working on their college application materials early on. Ideally, they should start their college essays their eleventh-grade year, as well as take the ACT/SAT. Getting their application together will include writing their essays (short and long answer questions), gathering letters of recommendation, and creating a resume of their extracurricular activities and achievements. By starting early, you and your child can avoid feeling overwhelmed and rushed when it comes time to submit their college applications.
Stay Positive and Supportive
Setting realistic college goals can be a challenging process for tenth graders. There's a lot that goes into the college preparation process, and it's easy to get overwhelmed as it gets closer to senior year. As a parent, it's important to stay positive and supportive throughout the journey. You will ultimately shape a lot of how the process for your tenth grader goes by staying grounded and not smothering them throughout the process. Encourage your child to pursue their passions, explore new opportunities, and set intentional and manageable goals that keep them on track.
As the college application deadlines get closer, it's very important to keep the lines of communication open with your tenth grader and their support system. Listen to their concerns, offer guidance and support, and help them navigate any challenges they may face along the way. Do not do things for them. Instead, encourage them to make their own decisions. Remember that every child is different, and it's okay if their path to college looks different from their peers.
Setting realistic college goals for your tenth grader can help them prepare for their future and achieve their academic and career aspirations. Encouraging exploration, setting academic goals, researching colleges, financial planning, creating a timeline, and staying positive and supportive, will help your child navigate the college application process with confidence and success. Preparation for college is a marathon, not a sprint. With your guidance and support, your tenth grader will feel ready to submit an application that reflects their aspirations and aligns with their goals.
