College Readiness Programs

It's hard for me to believe I'm actually writing this, but my oldest daughter, a 7th grader, is now receiving invites to, and information on, college readiness programs. It seems like just yesterday she was a little baby we were holding in our arms and rocking to sleep. Now she's a 7th grader who is just as tall as my wife and receiving information in the mail about going to college! Thinking back on my childhood, it was about this age I started receiving information on college and attending college readiness programs and other outreach activities.

Near the start of this year, we took her to her first college readiness program where she learned about the college admissions process and how students are admitted to college. She also learned about how financial aid works as well as some tips on writing college essays. In a couple of weeks she'll be taking the SAT for the first time. I have conflicted thoughts about the SAT and other standardized tests as they do not reflect the ability to succeed. But, with most colleges still requiring these, it is important to understand how the tests work. Some colleges have recently dropped the SAT requirement and I'm guessing more are to come. We'll see where this is at in 4 years when my daughter starts applying to college.

If you have a child in middle school, starting as early as 7th grade, I encourage you to check out college readiness programs in your area. You don't need to pay for many of these. If your area is like mine, there are probably several free programs at colleges and universities you can check out. Start with one of them for your child to get their feet wet in the college process, as well as for you, if this is your first child, to get your feet wet as a parent preparing for a child to go to college. It's not too early to start, trust me!