Blueprint

9th grade: build the GPA

Every semester grade from here is on the transcript colleges and scholarship committees read. A strong freshman year is the cheapest scholarship advantage there is.

This year's checklist

• Protect the GPA first. One low semester in 9th grade takes years to average out.
• Take the most demanding classes the student can earn an A or B in. Rigor with good grades beats rigor with poor ones.
• Join two or three activities and stay. Depth and leadership over four years reads better than a long list.
• Start a running résumé: activity, role, hours per week, dates, any award. Update it every semester.
• Log service hours with dates and a contact name.
• Take the PSAT 8/9 if the school offers it, and treat the score report as a study guide.

The money move

Search for scholarships open to 9th graders once a semester. There are fewer of them, and fewer students apply. Save anything with a deadline to your plan.

For the parent

Check grades at each progress report, not only at the end of the semester. Ask the counselor how class rank and weighted GPA are calculated at your school, because both feed scholarships and admission.