In middle school, with an eye on college

The plan includes at least four Advanced Placement courses in high school, 50 hours a year volunteering and playing a sport in high school, likely volleyball.

“I like being organized,” said Hannah Catherine, 13, who attends Hebron Christian Academy, a private school in Gwinnett County.

More area middle school students and their families are preparing earlier for college, particularly as the admissions process has become more difficult in top schools. They’re mapping out which courses their children must take in high school along with finding after-school, extracurricular and community service projects that will help them get accepted into their preferred college.

It’s occurring across the nation. Oregon State University offers pre-college programs for middle school students that explain what types of courses they should take in high school and how to pay for tuition. The Texas Financial Aid Information Center has a college planning guide for middle school parents.

The College Board, which administers the SAT, the PSAT and Advanced Placement courses, created a website four years ago which includes information that can help middle school students and families explore colleges and what they need to do to prepare.

“It’s not too soon to start thinking about college, but you want to give students time to think and grow,” said Andrew Elwell, the College Board’s director of student communications. “Students and families shouldn’t feel overwhelmed.”

Hannah Catherine’s mother, Krista, said her co-worker is charting a similar course for her middle school child, who wants to attend a military college. She and another friend with a child in middle school discussed where to get cheerleading scholarships.

The early planning comes as state education officials are encouraging middle school students to explore career paths.

Rudy Jackson, a Gwinnett resident who’s worked at several colleges and served on college scholarship committees, is planning a class this month to help middle school parents navigate the admissions process. Jackson said he decided to start the class after encountering stress-worn parents who pushed their kids to get top grades and take the most rigorous courses.

“What parents are looking for is a competitive advantage,” said Jackson, who said he’s worked with Gwinnett school district counselors.

Jackson’s syllabus includes lessons on how to help your child stand out to an admissions officer, what type of academic rigor is best and how to avoid putting too much pressure on the student. Like SAT prep courses, the classes aren’t free. It’s $349 for the eight-lesson course.

Paul Thomas has seen how Jackson has helped students and is considering taking the course. Thomas and his wife began working when their youngest daughter, Aja, was in third grade on what she will need to get into her preferred college. Much of it is focused on academics. He said friends have started programs to help less affluent students, like starting a track club to help children get athletic scholarships.

“The whole thing was getting kids in college without paying a dime,” said Thomas, a mechanical engineer.

Neil Clark, who’s been counseling students for 16 years, has a message for worried parents: Relax.

“The anxiety is ratcheting up,” said Clark, dean of college counseling and guidance at The Walker School, a private school in Cobb County. “People are becoming more concerned about it. My message is parents should relax. These years go by so quickly.”

Clark said middle school should be a time for students to explore their interests, learn good study habits and have fun. Clark said he encounters many parents who are unnecessarily worried. Students don’t need to learn how to play the oboe in middle school to get an edge, he said.

The pressure felt by many parents and students can be devastating, Jackson said. He recalled asking a student with strong grades what she had done to stand out that would impress college admissions officers. There was an uncomfortable pause, Jackson remembered, as the student’s eyes welled with tears.

Hannah Catherine said she doesn’t feel the pressure at this point. The top schools on her list are Florida State and Georgia State, which she said have well-respected hospitality programs. Her parents say they’ve tried not to be “helicopter parents” by allowing her to plot out study time. Her mother joked she’ll probably change her focus before she graduates from high school.

Aja, a rising seventh-grader, was put in math and science classes her family thought would better prepare her for her long-term goal, getting into a good college. She’s playing lacrosse, which the family described as part of a “strategic” effort to impress colleges since many African-Americans don’t play the sport in college.

Colleges “want to see well-rounded students,” said Thomas, a Georgia Tech grad. “We’re having to add sports for the balance.”

Thomas said his daughter is not feeling the pressure to get into college. She’s thinking about something else.

“She’s focused on getting in a college different than us,” he said.