College is not a spectator sport. Don't be a spectator!

From a spectator standpoint, I understand how convenient it is to turn on the TV during the game's final minutes to watch how it ends. It's often the most exciting part of the game. 

However, the coaches and players can't do that. Instead, they must prepare hard and long in advance to play well throughout the game. 

The same applies to college, but we're the coaches and players, not the spectators!

Therefore, we must prepare diligently, long in advance, to excel in the college admissions and scholarship process. We can't jump in at the end and expect to receive the desired results. 

2025 Admission Season Finale, Part 10.

With this in mind, the college qualification process begins no later than the 7th grade. Although it ends with admission decisions, it does not begin with submitting applications, as most students think.

We all know that GPA is a significant element in the qualification process, but college qualifications are not limited to GPA. 

Other important qualifications include-

• Taking rigorous courses, such as AP classes; the AP track begins in 7th grade
• Pursuing activities related to the student's interests in studies or possible careers
• Building personal skills, such as public speaking, debate, writing, or leadership
• Excelling in performance, such as music, the arts, dance, or athletics
• Contributing to the community, such as volunteering or fundraising
• Being involved in the school, such as starting a Club or being involved in the Student Council

A key to continuous academic success is "mastering the content" as the student progresses into and through high school. High-level academics are cumulative—increasing in strength based on successive additions—and its foundation is formed in the 7th grade. 

Too many students face struggles later in high school due to poor grades in previous years. A student's academic success or struggles are predictable.

Colleges value students having a "global perspective" and "worldly awareness." Students will need to demonstrate their understanding that we live in a globalized society and that we must look beyond our borders to better comprehend the world around us. 

Colleges have a disdain for students with poor writing skills. Students need to demonstrate the ability to think clearly and express their views with meaning and purpose.   

Colleges value timeliness, preparation, execution, and follow-through. The application process is the student's opportunity to present these skills. But the discipline and work ethic must be developed earlier.

Colleges value bilingual students, as does the world in which we live. This is something the American students need to value more. A few years of a second language in high school is not enough. International students have a strong advantage here.

Colleges, companies, and the world around us value a person's creative reasoning abilities and problem-solving skills. It's important to become an active learner rather than a passive receiver of education.

All of these things represent conscious thought, proper planning, and timely execution from early on in a child's life. They cannot be last-minute thoughts, as those turn into long-term regrets.

To turn these desired values into advantages for college and life success, both students and parents must play the game from the beginning. 

This is our model for creating unique advantages for our students.