When should you start planning for college?

It’s never too early to start thinking about college. It may seem very far away, but the hard work you put in now should help you later on.
Some experts recommend starting as early as sixth grade. ​

We have found that starting to think about and to prepare for college should ideally start during the summer before your high school freshman year, but getting help later can still be of benefit to you.

Start Preparing for College in Middle School

• Establish good study habits. ...
• Explore extracurricular activities. ...
• Read, read, read. ...
• Choose challenging courses. ...
• Get caught up and-or ahead. ...
• Talk about college. ...
• Get familiar with college costs and how to save money.

Is a 3.0 good in middle school?
A 3.5 middle school GPA was found to give students about a 50 percent chance of college success. But grades can and do improve in middle school—with real payoffs. In fact, only about half of students exceeding the state standards on tests and earning a 3.5 GPA in eighth grade earned at least a 3.0 GPA in high school.

What should 8th graders do to prepare for college?

• Extracurricular Activities. Developing your passions early will help you get a major head start on the college admissions process. ...
• Course Rigor. ...
• Test Prep. ...
• Relationship Building.

Do colleges care about middle school?
No, colleges will not look at your grades from middle school. Colleges focus on your grades from high school, which will be shown on your high school transcript.

How can I get accepted into Harvard?
The average GPA at Harvard is 4.18. With a GPA of 4.18, Harvard requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.