Starting the College Search in Middle School

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and were able to spend some time celebrating graduations or reunions! Shout out to my cousin Corrin who graduated this weekend from High School! It's such an exciting moment for everyone, so make sure you take it all in and help those around you celebrate!!

Today I wanted to talk to you all about starting the college search in the Middle School years. Now, I'm going to be candid with you all on this post, since there's a lot of talk about this in education. But, should students start their college search in Middle School?

In Middle School, students have so many things coming at them - peer pressure, puberty, discovering who they are, playing new sports, and learning new mathematical equations ... oftentimes, middle school is the first time that students are able to become more independent and start making their own choices.

Because of these all-important changes, is it necessary for students to start taking college prep classes, preparing for elite high schools, and visiting colleges and universities to meet with admissions counselors? My answer - NO!

If an elite, private high school is on your radar, that's great but middle school is a chance for you to create your own habits, make friends, and start becoming aware of the world we truly live in. They need to use this time to begin establishing their academic life and what type of students they plan to become.

My suggestion, though, is for parents to start having conversations with their student and their friends about future college and career options. They don't need to decide on a university or a specific major, just yet, but start planting the seed and creating that college culture in your home.

Listen when your child talks about guest speakers or something they really enjoyed in school, this may give you indicators of where their career interests lie! Something to remember as you travel through your child's career and college chase ... a strong skill does not always equal a career. Just because I was good at Math does not mean anyone should hire me to be their Accountant -- just something to think about! No matter what though, be there as your child discusses their interests and what they are thinking about in the future!

For those of you in Middle School or parents of Middle School students, it is important to at least think about careers and talk about these things with your students when they get really excited about something, but by no means are you expected to be taking SAT prep classes before you turn 13!

enjoy the chase,

skylar