While under-resourced students tend to undermatch– applying to less selective colleges and fewer of them than they could likely gain admission to– well-resourced kids often overmatch, applying to colleges more selective than the ones they are necessarily qualified for and to too many of them. I can’t count the number of times my under-resourced students plan to apply to only one or two colleges (the national average in 2021-2022 was approximately six colleges) when they should be aiming higher and more broadly.

I gained some new insights this year that I want to share with all of you. Let’s start with a high GPA is more important than AP courses for most students. My number one mistake with my oldest was holding him to a high level of academic rigor in subjects that weren’t his strength. It took me too long to realize that, and his grades early in high school suffered as a result. While Yale, Cal Tech, and Haverford will want to see the highest rigor in courses across the board (along with As), not every school will, and getting Cs and Ds instead of As and Bs will make life much harder for the college applicant.

Sophomores, you have completed the first half of high school and are headed for big things in the coming months and years, including preparing for college applications. This is your moment to plan the next two years. Here is what I advise you to keep top of mind as you plan your spring and summer:

If you are wondering "where do I rank in the college admissions game" or "what college acceptance rate should I target and in 2023" or "what's a safety school nowadays in 2023?" then read through these case studies to build your college list. Leaan how to the Common Data Set (CDS) to help you determine out of state acceptance rates and what colleges you actually stand a chance of getting into.

This blog outlines the process families can take in the 12 months leading up to college applications.

How to plan for and stand out at college fairs