If you’re in the 9th grade or starting it soon, consult this checklist to help guide you through your early high school career:

 

• Meet with your guidance counselor early on to start planning your courses throughout high school.
• Talk to your guidance counselor about which courses your school offers are the most challenging. Ask them what students from previous years who went to selective colleges did, and ask whether a similar plan would be good for you and what you want to do.
• Talk to your parents about how you can pay for college. Use a tool like FAFSA4caster to learn about how much need-based financial aid you can expect to receive.
• Get involved or stay involved in at least one extracurricular activity. Ninth grade is a good time to start building your resume in this regard. See our extracurriculars section for more advice.
• Take a look at the courses available through a Duke TIP Summer Studies program for any advanced topics you’ve been wanting to check out. Knowing your interests better might help you when it comes to choose appropriate high school and college electives when the time comes.
• Keep a list of any awards or honors you’ve won throughout the year, (including your Duke TIP participation), and then maintain that list throughout high school so you can reference it while you’re filling out your college applications.