Introduction
The college admissions process feels overwhelming for most families. From confusion over where your student is likely to be admitted to what colleges are looking for from applicants in the first place, families feel like they’re behind in the college admissions process before they even start. And that’s before they even look at all the different application deadlines and requirements!
Parents have an important role to play in the college admissions process. While the student should be the driver of their college applications and should write their own college essays, parents are an important source of support and guidance. However, parents often don’t know how to best support their student through the college admissions process, or don’t feel equipped to guide their application strategy.
Explore how AJ Tutoring’s Admissions Counseling Services can guide your family.
Understanding the College Admissions Journey
Timeline Overview: Freshman to Senior Year Milestones
9th Grade
- Focus on adapting to the academic demands of high school, improving study skills, and earning strong grades in your classes to start high school with a high GPA.
- Get involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, including clubs, sports, and volunteer work in and outside of school.
- Start exploring major and career interests. Research careers online, talk to parents and family friends about their jobs, and look at lists of majors in colleges. Explore potential academic and career interests with a self-created project or job shadowing.
- Dive deep into your interests in school and be academically engaged – selective colleges admit students with authentic interests and passions.
10th Grade
- Continue to do well in your classes. Take a rigorous course load with honors, AP/IB, and dual enrollment courses when possible, as long as you can maintain a high GPA.
- Take the PSAT if it’s offered to 10th graders at your school.
- Narrow down and focus your extracurricular involvement to a few activities. Spend more time on these activities, make a difference in those groups, and work towards a leadership role.
- Start or expand on a project exploring your academic interests.
- Plan ahead to spend at least part of the summer on something productive – community college classes, paid employment, an academic camp, or a community-based project.
- Begin visiting different types of colleges (public and private; urban, suburban, and rural; in state and out of state; etc) to see what college environment you prefer.
11th Grade
- Junior year grades and rigorous coursework are very important for college admissions. Do as well as you can in a challenging set of courses this year.
- Cultivate relationships with teachers and contribute to your classes, both because it’s good for your development as a student and because it’ll help you get strong recommendations from your teachers.
- Start developing a balanced list of likely, target, and reach colleges at the beginning of junior year, and narrow that down during spring of junior year. Research the colleges on your list to see if they’re a good fit for you. Continue college visits.
- Increase the depth of your extracurricular involvement, ideally with leadership roles, leading an initiative, or mentoring other students.
- Take the PSAT in the fall of junior year, as well as the SAT and/or ACT. Retake the test if needed.
- Request letters of recommendation from two teachers in the spring of junior year.
- Plan another productive summer, and get started on college essays once your college list is in place.
12th Grade
- Write college essays, including your Common App personal statement, the UC personal insight questions, and supplemental essays.
- Draft and edit an effective activities and awards list.
- Submit applications ahead of early and regular decision deadlines in the fall and early winter.
- Continue to take a rigorous courseload and maintain strong grades. Senior year courses and grades matter for college admissions, and low grades can lead to college acceptances being rescinded.
- Keep up extracurricular involvement and leadership roles.
- Evaluate college acceptances and financial aid packages as they come out in the spring and make the best decision for your future!
Key Components of College Admissions
Most selective colleges in the United States practice holistic admissions, which means they use a variety of factors to determine whether a student will be admitted to their college. These factors can include:
- the student’s GPA
- the rigor of their coursework relative to what was available at their high school
- extracurricular activities and leadership
- college essays
- standardized test scores (SAT and/or ACT)
- letters of recommendation
- demonstrated interest
- legacy status
- first-generation status
- geographic location and state residency
- interview
It’s important to note that not all colleges use all of these factors for admission. At virtually all colleges, the student’s academic record (GPA and rigor of coursework) is the most important factor in the admissions decision. Families can research the Common Data Set for each college on their student’s list to see how important each factor is in admissions decisions.
Common Parent Questions
Question: When should my child start preparing for college applications?
Preparing for college admission begins as early as elementary and middle school. At those ages, parents should encourage their student’s development as a healthy person who works well with others and participates in their community, is academically curious, and has a strong foundation in reading, writing, and math.
In 9th and 10th grade, students should focus on building a track record of strong academic achievement and exploring potential future academic interests. Students should also get involved in a variety of extracurricular activities early in high school so they can narrow their focus later and pursue leadership roles.
Preparing for college applications begins in earnest in 11th grade, as students build a college list that’s a good match for their academic record and interests and start to think about college essay topics. Spring of junior year and the summer after junior year is the time when most students begin working on college essays and filling out college applications. However, by that time, the student’s academic and extracurricular foundation should be well-established.
Question: How important are extracurricular activities vs test scores?
Both extracurricular activities and test scores are important in college admissions. Which one is more important depends on the college. Families can research the Common Data Set for each college to see what the college says is more important.
Strong SAT, ACT, and/or AP exam scores are important to support the student’s academic record, especially with grade inflation being an issue in many high schools. Students should have strong test scores for colleges that require scores as part of the application process. However, even at test-optional or test-preferred colleges, a strong score only helps the student’s application. In those cases, the test score can be very important for admission to selective majors like engineering, computer science, or business.
Extracurricular activities should demonstrate both long-term involvement and impact to make a difference in the student’s admissions decision.
Key Areas Parents Can Actively Support
Academic Support
As we previously mentioned, the student’s grades in challenging honors, AP/IB, and dual enrollment courses are one of the primary factors in college admissions. Parents have a strong role to play in supporting their student’s academic achievement. They can help guide their student toward an appropriately challenging courseload, and they can keep an eye on their student’s study habits and grades to ensure things are going well.
If the student is struggling in a challenging class early in the year, quick intervention is helpful before their grade drops too low. If the class is truly too challenging for the student, consider switching to a non-honors/AP version of the class. If the student wants to stay in the class, you can help support their study habits at home with body doubling, suggesting focus techniques like the Pomodoro method or productivity apps, and holding their phone in a different room while they finish homework.
If your student isn’t understanding the material the teacher is presenting or isn’t doing well on tests and quizzes, academic tutoring support is a great option. AJ Tutoring matches students with dynamic, experienced 1-on-1 academic tutors for weekly academic tutoring support.
Test Prep Guidance
Colleges in the United States accept both the SAT and ACT for college admissions. Many students score similarly on the SAT and ACT, but some students do significantly better on one of the tests. AJ Tutoring offers a diagnostic SAT and ACT practice test to help students decide which test to focus on first.
Parents can help their student sign up for a diagnostic test, as well as for timed, proctored practice SAT and ACT tests. Students who take at least 3 full-length timed practice SATs or ACTs before their actual test usually see a bigger score improvement. Practice tests are an important part of SAT and ACT test prep at AJ Tutoring. If your student needs accountability and targeted guidance for the SAT or ACT, AJ Tutoring offers efficient, effective 1-on-1 test prep tutoring tailored to your student’s needs.
Essay and Application Support
Parents can help create a supportive environment at home that encourages students to do their best work on college applications and find a great college fit for them. It’s helpful for families to set one time each week when they’ll talk about college application progress, rather than bringing it up throughout the week. Parents should check in on their student’s progress with applications and college essays and ask if the student needs any resources or help to submit applications on time.
Even with support at home, many students struggle to manage the project of applying to colleges. Students are also often unsure what colleges are looking for in college essays. AJ Tutoring’s college counselors and college essay coaches are experts at helping students brainstorm and tell stories from their lives that reflect their growth, maturity, and who they are as a person. Our college essay process centers the student’s unique voice and story, so their essay stands out from the crowd.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid as a Parent
While parents can be a great support for their students through the college application process, there are a few ways things can go wrong.
Parents sometimes over-edit students’ college essays, substituting their own, adult voice for the student’s voice and experiences. Admissions officers want to hear from the student, and they can tell the difference!
Sometimes parents also micro-manage their student’s extracurricular activities. While there is a role for parents to encourage their students to explore interests and find opportunities, this sometimes tips over into parents curating a list of activities and projects they think their student should do. Again, admissions officers are experts at figuring out when students are truly passionate about their extracurricular activities, and when they’ve been forced into extracurricular involvement.
Finally, parents sometimes don’t seek professional help with college applications soon enough. Once the student is in their senior year, if they haven’t made significant progress with their college list and application essays, it’s time to enlist the help of a college counselor or a college essay coach. There’s still time to create a strong application package, but it may require professional assistance to make the best use of the remaining time before applications are due.
How Admissions Counseling Bridges the Gap
Working with a professional college counselor benefits your student and family in several ways.
College counselors offer personalized 1-on-1 college admissions guidance and feedback on the college list and college essays. This guidance is tailored to your student’s academic and extracurricular profile, their major and career interests, and their desired college setting.
Engaging a third-party college counselor also reduces family tension and disagreements during this important phase of life for your student. Your student’s college counselor keeps them on track with their application timeline, so you don’t have to be the one nagging them or worrying about deadlines.
College counselors also help students develop a comprehensive application strategy. Your student’s college counselor will work with them to create a plan for early action and early decision applications (including EDI and EDII application strategy), and will help your family evaluate admission offers in the spring.
AJ Tutoring’s college counselors and college essay coaches have supported hundreds of students in the Bay Area and beyond to successfully apply to college and find a great college fit for them. Our college counselors have helped students gain admission to all the UCs, Stanford, Penn, University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, MIT, Purdue, and other fantastic selective colleges. AJ Tutoring’s college counseling students have been admitted to over 120 colleges that are a strong fit for their academic and personal needs.
Your student might be like our student David G. from the class of 2024, who began senior year at a local Bay Area public high school with an unweighted 4.0 GPA, a 1570 SAT score, and an impressive set of extracurriculars that included national debate titles, extensive programming experience, and an editorial role on his school newspaper. David’s application package made him a strong candidate for the most selective colleges in the country, so his counselor worked with him to put together an impactful restrictive early action application for Stanford. David worked on other Ivy League applications while waiting for the Stanford decision. He was accepted to Stanford in December, so he didn’t need to spend more time finishing his other applications and was thrilled with the outcome.
Testimonial from a parent:
“Our son was admitted to Purdue University last Friday. I can’t stress enough that it was a big success from your work on all the essays he wrote, including the additional essay that he wrote to Purdue after he was deferred. Big thank you for your support and encouragement of our son! Will always refer my friends to you!”
Learn more about our Admissions Counseling Services.
Practical Next Steps for Parents
Checklist: What can you do this semester?
Depending on your student’s age, parents can:
- Check in with them regularly about how classes are going
- Encourage them to sign up for rigorous classes next year
- Help them plan for a productive and relaxing summer
- Guide your student to find extracurricular and community service opportunities both in and out of school
- Help your student explore majors and career interests – connect them with friends and family in industries they might want to pursue
- Sign them up for standardized tests when appropriate
- Take your student on college visits
- Get your student support when they need it, whether that’s academic or test prep tutoring or college admissions counseling
When to consider professional admissions counseling
Every student can benefit from meeting with a professional college counselor to plan ahead for college admissions. It’s helpful for 9th and 10th graders to meet with a college counselor to learn what colleges are looking for in their applicants and to create a four-year plan for success in high school and college applications. 11th and 12th graders benefit from meeting with a counselor to create a personalized, balanced college list, draft and edit college essays, and fill out and submit applications ahead of deadlines.
Regardless of your student’s age, it’s helpful to begin meeting with an admissions counselor early in the process, before your student gets overwhelmed. AJ Tutoring’s college counselors are here to support your family through the college admissions process from start to finish.
Conclusion
As parents, you have an incredible role to play in guiding your student through high school and supporting them on the path to college. It’s our privilege as college counselors at AJ Tutoring to partner with your family and keep your student on track and motivated with their college applications.
Schedule a consultation with an AJ Tutoring Admissions Counselor today.
