Planning by Grade
10th Grade: Get Real Experience
Out of the classroom and into the world.
What this year is for
From curious to committed.
Interests begin to narrow. This is the year a job, research, or a steady commitment starts to form a pattern rather than fill a slot. Colleges want to see what students do when no one is telling them what to do.
Ask your kid
Ask your kid. Then listen.
Keep asking. By now the answers start to repeat, and that pattern tells you what matters.
- What have you kept doing since ninth grade, and why?
- What problem do you keep noticing?
- Who could teach you more about it?
How are you going to save the world?
A Haverford College study found that students whose parents were more controlling and less supportive of their independence declined in well being across the move to college. Source
Where I encourage students to focus
Real stakes, real people.
- A job or internship with genuine responsibility.
- A mentor or research experience in a field the student cares about.
- Leadership that grows out of earlier commitments.
- A project that tackles a problem the student has noticed.
Year two of a commitment is where depth begins to show.
Where I come in
The details are the work.
I build a plan with each student, matched to their interests, with specific opportunities, people, and next steps. That is what we do together in our sessions.
The research
What colleges say.
MIT
MIT looks for initiative, including contributing to your family or community, and for hands on creativity: trying something new and getting your hands dirty.
Source →Stanford
Stanford reads for exceptional depth in a few activities rather than a long list of clubs.
Source →Tufts
Students who work or care for family members are not held back in admissions. Tufts gives those responsibilities equal weight.
Source →Admissions policies change. Last reviewed October 2026.
Questions from families
Frequently asked questions
01Should my student do a research program?+
When it follows a real interest, it can be valuable. I help families weigh which experiences fit their student.
02How often do you meet with sophomores?+
Usually about four times a year, focused on summers, activities, and course choices.
Begin
Let's build on what your student has started.
Initial consultations are complimentary.