Is 7th Grade too early to be thinking about getting into
college? Yes and no.
Middle school students have plenty on their plates. And kids should be allowed to be kids.
Yet, one particular item on that plate should be of interest
to both the students and their parents:
the courses in the immediate academic future, that is, 7th, 8th and 9th
Grades - and sometimes even earlier. In many schools, especially
private schools, students may take full-credit, high school math, science, and foreign
language courses in the 7th or 8th Grade (or a year-course spread out over two grade levels, such as a half year covered in 7th Grade and the other half in 8th Grade). These are usually courses like Algebra, Biology, or a first-year in foreign
languages like Spanish, French, Latin, German, or, increasingly these days,
Chinese. This means that parents of 6th Graders, for example, should
be aware of the offerings available to their children in the following year and
should determine if taking high school courses in the 7th or 8th Grade is a viable
option. Sometimes the matter is compounded by the student's having to be placed into advanced classes in even earlier years (like 5th Grade) in order to prepare for, or satisfy, requirements for courses slated for later middle school years.
So, questions arise: are the students qualified? Is it up to the school or the family to place the child? And what is the timing for preparing and placing?
So, questions arise: are the students qualified? Is it up to the school or the family to place the child? And what is the timing for preparing and placing?
A potential advantage here is getting a good jump on the curriculum so
that later in high school, the student will have some flexibility to take more
advanced courses, such as "advanced placement" offerings, “AP” courses. For example, a student interested in math who
takes Algebra in the 9th Grade may not have an opportunity to take AP
Calculus in the 12th Grade because the prerequisites generally include
Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre Calculus – courses that would be slated for the
10th, 11th, and 12th Grades, thus leaving out AP Calculus. If, however, Algebra were completed in the 8th
Grade instead of the 9th Grade, the sequence would permit AP Calculus in the
12th Grade. A similar scenario could
play out for science and a foreign language.
College admissions officers look very carefully at the
transcript of a candidate and they will notice if the student has exhausted a
particular discipline – like math, science, or foreign language. One
of the first questions that college admissions readers ask when reviewing an
applicant’s folder is: has this student
challenged himself or herself? The applicant who
has a transcript full of AP courses and who has a 12th Grade schedule of
high-level courses in each discipline, will stand out in a very positive
way. The admissions office would likely
have little doubt that the student not only has embraced an academic challenge
already, but also will be able to manage college level work in the year to
come.
So, middle school students and their parents would be well
advised to look ahead to the curriculum available in 7th, 8th and 9th Grade – and
beyond. The course selections in 7th and 8th
Grades, especially in math, science, and foreign language, may affect significantly the available options in high school and college.
For a more complete look at the college admission process, see COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice. CLICK HERE
