I disagree with most here. There is no problem researching right now and starting to get involved in extracurriculars. By the time freshman year roles around, you should try and be involved in 3 strong extracurriculars and add more as high school goes on.
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I would actually suggest the opposite–start experimenting broadly and then focus in as time progresses on the ones you find most enjoyable and meaningful. That is the advice our feederish HS also gives 9th graders.
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So I happen to have a sixth-grader, and we discussed this on the ride to school today.
I stated my opinion that it was fine for us to talk about colleges if she liked, but it was really too early to decide anything. She responded, wait, she did have a favorite college! I asked which, and she ultimately needed me to remind her what was the college she liked for architecture (USC, by the way–I think she also forgot she had wanted a college in California).
That seems about right to me. Again, not a problem that she is thinking about architecture or California or whatever. But not obsessively, and indeed not enough to actually really remember once much time passes.
And in fact if 5 years from now she is still interested in exploring good colleges for architecture in California, USC will still be waiting.
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Sample of one. My 7th grade daughter tagged along when older sibling toured SMU in Dallas. She declared we never had to take her on any college trips. I think she has had it with being along on older sibs many visits (combined with family vacations…but still). She brought up SMU a number of times in the year or two following this trip to Dallas.
Fast forward to 10th grade. So I say “If SMU is still your college choice, we can plan a trip there just for you”. Her reply…”I’m NOT going to college in Texas. And she didn’t.
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There are a few issues with doing that at this stage. One is that so much can change at a college between now and five years from now. Fiske is released each year with updates. Of course, not every entry is changed each year. I looked at my Fiske from 2015 and my Fiske from 2021. Both my kids’ college entries were substantially different from the 2015 edition. Plus, some colleges are dropped from Fiske, others are added.
Another issue: Fiske only covers 320 colleges of the 3000+ in the nation (and a few international universities.) Maybe in 5-6 years time, this student’s family circumstances will change (hopefully for the better of course), and perhaps the student will need to know about more than just those 320 colleges. Maybe the student will decide to apply to med or law school, both of which are very expensive (currently at least $260,000 for med school) so the student will want to apply to colleges that will offer great scholarships, or they will choose to attend college locally to save money for postgrad studies. Has the student discussed, at age 12, the financial consideration of college? For example, is this student aware that Wash U, which they previously enquired about, costs $83,760 annually, and will certainly be a lot more expensive in 6-7 years time?
Sure, they can have a look, but as a self-described kid “obsessed” with college, there is nothing healthy about them indulging the obsession, especially at this age.
But, I suspect the OP will pay attention to the responses that align with their thinking.
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My parents happen to have previously believed I was obsessed, but then I clarified by showing them the dictionary definition of obsession and they changed their mind into believing that I am interested in college, not obsessed. As @NiceUnparticularMan said his daughter had already achieved, I am merely attempting to identify my favorite college instead of consuming myself with research about possible universities I have slim chances of attending based on acceptance rates.
It is WAYYYYYY to early to identify your favorite college. Way too early. If you are attempting to do this…you are obsessed.
Fact is, you have NO WAY to predict your acceptance chances for six years from now…zero way to predict this. Acceptances change. Colleges change. You will change.
The college my first kid went to had a 60% acceptance rate when he went. Now it’s under 20%. Same with my DD.
I do not agree with this statement. Using this same logic, if you were to have a favorite superhero, then you would automatically be obsessed with Marvel or DC or whatever superhuman multiverse that your preferred superhero belongs to.
Poster is welcome to return in high school when they have a better sense of their academic standing, GPA, budget etc…
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