College may be years away, especially if your child isn’t in high school yet. However, getting ready for college requires an early start. Academic preparation, career discussions, and college entrance exams are vital areas of focus to ensure that your child gets into his or her dream college.

Start the College Discussion Early

Preparing for college actually starts before high school by encouraging your child to take challenging academic courses. A strong foundation in English, science, math, history and a foreign language in the pre-high school years will increase your child’s opportunities for admission into top universities.

You can also get your child thinking about professions that appeal to him or her. Many parents have a good sense of their children’s talents and strengths. These observations can lead to fruitful discussions about future career options.

Provide Academic Support

Each learner has his or her own unique needs. One child may excel in math and struggle with English. Another may do generally well across subjects but need additional support to achieve excellent grades. In many cases, one-on-one tutoring may be all that your child needs to strengthen his or her academic skills. At Growing Stars, we offer an effective and affordable live tutoring service that is easily accessible from any location with Internet access. Your child will receive the academic support necessary to get into his or her dream college.

Consult with an Academic Counselor

As your child enters 9th grade and beyond, get to know his or her school guidance counselor. Ask for information related to course selection, college options and career exploration. Becoming knowledgeable early on will strengthen your ability to guide your son or daughter through a variety of academic choices and challenges.

Visit Colleges

Starting at about 10th grade, encourage your child to visit different college campuses. You might do this together or inquire about high school field trips to colleges. Preferences may begin to emerge regarding campus size, academic specialties, and extracurricular activities offered by various colleges.

Prepare Your Child for College Entrance Exams

A high score on college entrance exams increases access to more competitive schools. At Growing Stars, we offer in-depth SAT coaching on all of the concepts and test taking approaches necessary to do well. Additionally, each time a student finishes a full-length test, the tutor reviews and emails a Scorecard to the student and parents. This way, you as a parent stay involved throughout the test preparation process.

Growing Stars is a live online tutoring pioneer. Testimonials from top educators, students and parents speak to the affordability, effectiveness and flexibility of our services. We look forward to assisting you as you prepare your child for college.