Preparing the Gifted Child for College

Gifted children need the resources to prepare for college. There are certain steps to take to help these kids get the most out of their middle school and high school years. These steps will help prepare these kids for the college search.
As early as middle school, some Talent Search Programs use the SAT to identify kids who are gifted in certain areas. Middle school is the ideal time to start to develop strong time management and work-study skills. The summers are perfect for exploring areas of interest for career exploration. By solidifying areas of interest, the student can then better design their high school curriculum to include courses pertinent to their interests.
During high school, the gifted student should supplement their high school curriculum with Advanced Placement, honors classes, dual credit classes with local colleges and classes at local colleges. Be sure to check with your guidance counselor for options.
Gifted students often have high expectations. Managing these expectation is critical for success. Attending very selective colleges will often take these students from being the big fish in the little pond to being a fish much like the fish. The competition is tough so encouraging these students to compete against themself, not others, is a good tool for managing the stress of college.
For more information, here’s a good article from the College Board. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/starting-points/151.html