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EARLY PlANNING
This is where the foundation is built.
Before the list. Before the essays. Before any of it. We help your student figure out who they are.
8th and 9th grade is when your student has the freedom to explore: to try things, discover what genuinely excites them, and start to understand who they are before the stakes are raised. We help them use that freedom well: building a roadmap around what they discover, and growing into someone whose college application tells a story worth telling. This is chapter one of a journey we take together.
Where this leads
8th & 9th
Discover who your student is: their strengths, interests, and direction. Build the foundation everything else grows from.
10th & 11th
Deepen their story, build leadership, get ahead of testing, and shape a college list around who they have become.
Senior year
We help students draft compelling essays and a resume that get noticed, connecting the dots of their story so their desired major and dream school are within reach.
BUILDING THE ROADMAP
You don't have to have it figured out yet. That's what we're here for.
8th and 9th grade is about discovery. Uncovering who your student is, what they care about, and where they want to go. We help them build a real plan around the answers, not the other way around.
01
Course Selection That Sets the Stage
Every course choice in 8th and 9th grade is a building block. We help your student map a sequence that aligns with their interests, keeps their options wide open, and positions them for the advanced work that selective colleges want to see.
02
Strengthening the Academic Foundation
High school brings a significantly more rigorous curriculum. We work with students to shore up any areas of weakness early so they enter 9th grade with confidence and the ability to tackle harder coursework head-on.
03
Uncovering Interests and Building a Rich Resume
We use career assessment tools to help students identify their strengths and genuine interests, then build activities and experiences around what they find. The goal isn't a packed list. It's real development that reflects who they are, and a student resume that shows it.
COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE COUNSELING
The earlier we know your student, the better we can guide them.
We don't push students toward an application. We start by getting to know them: their strengths, how they learn, what lights them up, and where they want to go. From there, we build a roadmap together that grows with them through 10th grade, junior year, and all the way through the application process. We guide students through career exploration, help them build a resume that evolves over time, and coach them on informational interviews to start exploring what's possible. Families who join us in 8th or 9th grade don't just get college counseling. They get a long-term partner invested in helping their student discover who they are and find the place where they'll truly thrive.
Supporting families through college admissions since 2008
WHAT FAMILIES SAY
Starting early changes
the whole experience.
"Working with College MatchPoint made us feel supported, empowered, and relieved. Our kids didn't just get into great schools, they found the perfect places to thrive."
— Kristen Cowden, Parent, Class of 2021, 2023, 2025
"MatchPoint is support for the entire family. They center their support and communication with the child. My relationship is better with my child, and our experience was wonderful. Let me say that again: our college application process was wonderful."
— Jessica Weaver, CMP Parent
Let's Talk
Let's build your student's roadmap.
Schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with one of our college counselors. We'll talk through where your student is, where they want to go, and what a plan could look like. No pitch. No pressure. Just a real conversation.
Schedule Your Strategy Session
No pitch. No pressure. Just clarity from someone who has done this thousands of times.
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