September 2026

It’s begun. Last week I took my 15-year-old daughter to the doctor. The doctor asked what grade she’s in, and when my daughter said 10th grade, the doctor immediately said “Oh, that’s PSAT year, right?” She then spent several minutes explaining why physical notecards are better than notecards on screens for test prep. I know that with each passing month for the next two years, my daughter is going to get more unsolicited college advice. I try to minimize how much I give her, though I can only control myself so much.

I hope this newsletter isn’t unsolicited for you. It’s got updates on what everyone should be doing this fall to prepare for college applications, an updated explanation of what it means to treat college like a relationship, and lots of other good stuff from all over the internet. Enjoy!

—Benjamin

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Here’s what I covered on the site in August:

What should I be doing now? 12th grade, fall. Here is a month-by-month breakdown of the application process. Feel free to use it, modify it, or ignore it as appropriate.

What should I be doing now? 11th grade, fall. You probably already know this—you’re living it—but 11th grade is generally acknowledged to be the toughest year of high school.

What should I be doing now? 10th grade, fall. You don’t need to know which college you want to go to, and you don’t need to have a “long list” prepared yet. But it is time to start thinking about it—I assume you have, since you’re here. Remember that you’re at the exploring stage right now, not the deciding stage.

What should I be doing now? 9th grade, fall. This has an academic side—take the most rigorous classes you can, get the best grades you can, be involved in your education. But just as important at this point are the social and emotional sides. You’re easing your way into a new and exciting (and challenging) place. You’re going to have missteps, and you’re going to change your mind about things. That’s normal, and that’s fine.

Treat it like a relationship. Choosing your college is definitely a rational decision, and it’s also a social and emotional one. College is important to you, and it asks things of you as much as it provides for you. That’s a relationship.

Here are some blog posts from the archive that seem good for this September:

How to use college rankings for your search. I’m neither pro- nor anti-rankings. I know a lot of people find them valuable, and a lot of people think they’re severely overvalued. I see rankings as another tool to help navigate a complex problem. They’re not the only tool or even the most important one. You can do just fine without ever consulting rankings, but they can help if you know how to use them. So let’s review.

Choosing, and explaining, your extracurricular activities. Colleges ask about your activities for two reasons: they’re interested in making their community as vibrant as possible, and because what you do in high school is the clearest indicator of what you’ll do in college.

Some basic rules for email. College admission, it should go without saying, is a very official thing. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get through applications effectively without using email. So for those who may not be adept or enthusiastic about email, let me give a few brief rules that will make it more efficient and effective. But probably not more fun.