As an educator for nearly fifteen years, and the Director of College Planning at Premier Academy, I have seen first-hand the numerous benefits that creating a personalized academic plan can have for a student. Working cohesively with an experienced college planning counselor helps to ensure a student’s success throughout high school and significantly improves his or her odds of earning acceptance at prestigious universities. At Premier Academy, the experienced faculty are ready to provide individualized 9-12th grade academic plans that focus on each student’s strengths and prepare them for the rigors of both high school and college.
Developing a “Spike”:
While “well-rounded” students who excel in all aspects of high school deserve to be celebrated, being “well-rounded” often does not help a student gain acceptance into the most elite universities nationwide, specifically the IVY League Colleges. To maximize one’s likelihood of being admitted into a prestigious university, a student must build a “spike” by identifying his or her interests early on in high school, and selecting a field of study in college that matches those interests. Once a student settles on a prospective college major, it is time to focus on enrolling and excelling in the most challenging courses (Honors, AP, or IB), joining clubs and extracurricular activities, studying for standardized tests, and completing research — all in the area of study that he or she will pursue in college. For an example: if a student wishes to major in the STEM field in college, perhaps Engineering or Computer Science, then he or she
should enroll in AP level math and science courses, locate clubs that highlight an interest in STEM, take the math level II and science based SAT subject tests (hopefully scoring 700+), and find research opportunities that will help stress a devotion to STEM. In summary, to achieve the sought after “spike” and increase the likelihood of being accepted to a top ten university in the STEM field, a student must achieve A level grades in AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Physics/Chemistry, and AP Computer Science, earn near perfect scores on the SAT as well as the SAT math level II and science based subject tests, perform research in the STEM field over summer, and gain recognition and awards for his or her contributions.
College Planning for 9-12th grade students:
Having detailed the significance of developing a “spike”, I can move the discussion to the topic of the single most important criteria for admission into elite Ivy League and University of California campuses: a student’s GPA (Grade Point Average) earned while in high school, and the difficulty of the courses taken to earn that GPA. Realizing that each student possesses his or her own unique skill set, counselors at Premier Academy will plan a specific schedule for each year of high school that will both challenge the student, and put them in a position to succeed. At certain points AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) classes will be recommended, especially if the courses relate to the student’s intended college major and help create the aforementioned “spike”. At other times the counselor may recommended taking a more traditional honors class, especially if achieving an ‘A’ in an AP or IB class seems unlikely, and the course does not closely relate to the student’s
future studies. Finding the appropriate balance between enrolling in challenging courses that will allow students to maximize their potential and help develop their spikes, while avoiding courses that are too extreme for a student’s skill set is something that only a trained college planning counselor at Premier Academy can accurately assess.
Extracurricular Activity & Volunteer Work Guidance
Achieving a stellar GPA while in high school is just one criteria that elite universities will consider for admission. Extracurricular activity and volunteer work is also highly sought after in applicants. Premier Academy recommends students complete 150+ hours of community service or specialized research while in high school. Counselors at Premier Academy provide students instruction about how to join appropriate service clubs at school, find research and internship opportunities over summer, secure volunteer hours in the community, and take on leadership roles in clubs related to their intended fields of study. Further, each student’s volunteer/research hours are carefully recorded by a counselor to make certain that the student is on track for 150+ hours by senior year.
College Major & Career Guidance Advising
It is imperative during the first three years of high school to identify a student’s academic interests and use those interests to find a suitable college major that can lead him or her to a rewarding and lucrative career. Utilizing the newest computer software, Premier Academy counselors can help determine whether a particular major is an appropriate fit for the student based on his or her skill set, and whether jobs related to that major will be abundant or scarce in the future. It is our philosophy at Premier
Academy that each student benefits from identifying a college major that he or she has an affinity for, and one that will easily translate into a job when he or she graduates from college. Once a major has been selected, Premier Academy counselors will be able to refine the student’s high school schedule to locate classes that are beneficial to building his or her “spike” and improve the chances of college admission.
College Application Assistance and Personal Statement Essay Brainstorming & Review:
By the time a student has finished 9, 10, and 11th grade college planning, he or she will enter the most integral part of the college planning program: The UC Application and Common Application Workshops. Beginning in August of 12th grade, students will have the opportunity to register for the highly regarded UC and Common Application workshops which cover the specifics about how to fill out the applications and include one on one meetings with a skilled college planning counselor to help brainstorm and ultimately edit the personal statement essays. Without any doubt, creating a polished and professional application, along with fresh, well written essays is paramount if a student wants to maximize the chances of being accepted to the university of his or her dreams.
We Can Help!!
The best way to ensure that your child is accepted into an elite university is to sign up for our college planning program right away. Premier Academy and its experienced faculty can guarantee a personalized and focused college plan that will
lead your child to success in high school and ultimately into a world class university! Do not delay. Enroll your child today!