College consultants often get asked “How early do you start working with students in the college application process?” This question almost always comes from parents. Sometimes they are just curious, but increasingly, they are serious.  Can, should, their 8th grader start preparing for college applications?

If we are really honest, and take a step back, we must admit that we currently don’t know what colleges and universities will use as metrics for evaluation in the coming one to five years. Honestly, we don’t. The evaluation system is, thankfully, in a high state of flux with COVID-19 and the changes it has inspired colleges and universities to make in the application process are being developed, tested, and analyzed right now…and will continue to be over the next two – five years. But high school will continue. Academics will continue. Building relationships will continue. And a transition from high school to higher education…will continue. So a good question to entertain might be how—and when—can we help students prepare for that yet to be determined future?

Join Mark and Anna as they tackle when a good time to start preparing for college, why starting too early can be bad, but also what pieces you can start focusing on so you aren't in the 'missed the boat' scenario for certain rare situations. From testing to courses and intellectual exploration, Mark and Anna tackle how some students can start preparing for college like a marathon in a healthy manner.