It’s Not Too Early: Underclassmen who leverage EF skills get a leg up in the college admissions process

By Angela Kim, Engaging Minds Instructor, College Coach LA, CA

In today’s competitive college admissions landscape, underclassmen (9th and 10th graders) should begin preparing early by taking small, intentional, and actionable steps. College prep isn’t just about grades and test scores—it’s about making strategic actions in course selection, extracurricular activities, and college research. Students who start early experience a smoother application process, whereas those who start later often find themselves scrambling and stressed. 

To do this well, 9th and 10th graders need to build a strong foundation in key executive functioning (EF) skills. Executive functioning skills are often described as the command and control center of the brain, and include a wide range of skills that are still maturing in the prefrontal cortex during this stage of development. In this blog, we’ll cover the most important EF skills essential for college prep success – planning, backward design, self-advocacy, and research/note-taking – and discuss their applications relative to jumpstarting the college application process.

 

Planning: See the big picture

One of the most important things for students to do in their early high school years is to map out a clear four-year plan with both short-term and long-term goals. This plan should be holistic so students can “see the big picture” of their academics, testing timeframes, and the college application process.

 

Map Out a 4-Year Course Plan
When selecting classes, students should plan their entire four-year course sequence rather than focusing on one year at a time. This is important because many advanced courses (Honors, AP, or IB) often have prerequisites or other requirements that must be completed in earlier years. If students are unfamiliar with their high school’s course offerings and sequence, they may struggle to meet graduation requirements or align their coursework with their intended major. 

 

Set an SAT/ACT Testing Timeline

Even though many colleges remain test-optional, a strong SAT/ACT score can make students more competitive. Most students aim to take their first test in late 10th grade, spring of 11th grade, or the summer before 12th grade. While some students achieve their desired score on their first try, many take multiple attempts. Therefore, students should pencil in test dates for the SAT/ACT since having a timeline creates urgency and motivates them to study consistently and stay focused. 

 

College Application Timeline

Even as underclassmen, it’s important for students to have a general understanding of the college application timeline and key milestones. For example, they should know when to apply for summer programs, start working on their college essays and applications, visit colleges, request letters of recommendation, and complete the FAFSA application. By understanding the big picture timeline, students can make more informed decisions when planning ahead. 

 

Backward Design: Reverse Engineering

Whereas planning involves looking ahead and setting goals, backward design means understanding the end goal first about what colleges look for in students, and developing a plan to meet that expectation. For example, if the end goal is to get into MIT, students should examine the average GPA, testing requirements, and desired personal qualities, and then map out a detailed plan to achieve those goals.

Although 9th and 10th grade are too early to finalize a list of schools, college research should begin during this time. Doing early research can help students and families better understand the different types of colleges, such as public, private, and liberal arts schools. Visiting campuses, attending virtual info sessions, and taking down notes on what they like about certain colleges will help to narrow down and finalize college lists when application season comes around. 

 

Alignment is Key

Colleges look for students who have a clear idea of their intended field of study. They want to see a clear connection between their academic interests and activities to demonstrate their motivation and potential for success. As mentioned, every college also has demonstrated personal qualities in its students that it admits, and these are often clearly stated on its website (for example, MIT). A student who wants to major in business at a particular college should intentionally showcase teamwork, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills. 

 

Self-Advocacy

As students begin high school, building self-advocacy skills becomes increasingly important. Self-advocacy is closely tied to relationship building and effective communication, qualities that colleges seek in their students. 

 

Counselors

On average, students meet with their counselor only 1-2 times per year, typically to discuss class registration. This limited contact is because, especially in large public schools, one counselor typically manages, on average, 400 students in public high schools and 200 students in private high schools. Despite this, many colleges require a counselor recommendation letter and use it as a barometer for assessing a student’s impact on the school community. Therefore, it is important for students to take the initiative and request meetings with their counselor to foster a personal and positive relationship to ensure that their letter of recommendation is reflective of their skills, strengths, and contributions. Students often say they don’t know what to talk about when they meet counselors because they feel intimated. The best approach is to come prepared by writing down questions and topics they want to discuss.

 

Teachers

Many colleges require between 1-3 letters of recommendation from teachers (preferably from core subject teachers). Students often mistakenly believe that participating in class and earning good grades is sufficient for a teacher to write a strong letter, but that is not the case. Teachers often use a generic template for letters of recommendation, simply replacing students’ names. Instead, a strong letter should include both academic traits (i.e., intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, work ethic) and personal qualities (i.e. resilience, integrity, empathy, leadership, and community impact). Students should actively meet with teachers before and after school so that teachers can get to know them both inside and outside the classroom context. They can also put their best foot forward digitally, taking time to craft thoughtful, professional, and proofread emails when they have questions or need help throughout the school year. Students and parents should know what makes a strong or weak letter so that the letter highlights the student’s unique strengths, avoids generic praise, and gives the admissions office a clear sense of the student’s potential. 

 

College applications can be a stressful time for students and their families alike. However, preparing for college applications should start long before the application deadline, so that students and families can navigate this process with ease and confidence. By leveraging executive function skills such as planning, backward design, and self-advocacy, underclassmen can set themselves on a successful path toward college by laying the foundation for a less stressful and more purposeful experience as upperclassmen.