Why hire a college consultant for your 9th or 10th grader

Your kiddo has just started high school. They're getting used to new teachers, a new building, a new way of doing things. Surely, it is too early to send them to a college counselor. They haven't had a chance to settle into high school yet -- there will be plenty of time to stress them out about college later. Why subject your child to all that now?

And it's true. There will be time later. But getting started NOW will make things smoother, less stressful right out of the gate. How and why?

• We're not going to talk about college. That's years away! We're going to talk about your child's interests. What makes them tick? As they enter their new high school community, what do they want to try? What are they afraid to try? Who do they want to be in that new-to-them space?

  
  

• We'll talk about what adjustment to high school is like. What's different? What's the same? How does the workload feel? What are the teachers' expectations? How do you know? How to best plan for challenges? For successes?

  
  

Having a trusted adult that your child can talk to about what they're doing in and out of school will help your kiddo:

• start to develop meta-cognitive skills

• work on independence, advocacy, and executive functioning

• make intentional choices about their extracurriculars

• start thinking about where their studies and their activities might lead them (explore possible majors and career interests)

• keep track of what they're doing and why

The college application is largely about creating a coherent narrative of self and of your growth. Getting started early allows your kiddo to come to that narrative organically.

When it is time to speak about college applications, they'll be ready to talk about themselves with intention, authenticity, and with less stress.

When you choose to start your 9th grader with a college consultant, you're making an investment in their future, and helping to make the college search and application process more balanced and less insane.

By signing up for a comprehensive package with Balanced Path, you are saving both money and time.