<p>intparent, I began my post by making the point that it might be wise for the parents to start looking at things, but a bit early for the student. Sorry if that was not clear. You are absolutely right on that.</p>
<p>I would amend any advice by saying that everyone is different. There are friends of my kids who said, in senior year, that they wished they had thought more about college, earlier. For my own family, we emphasized learning and exploring in the present, and talking about college admissions would have felt strange- until we had to. (I can remember telling each of them that they did not have to go at all, too!) I have friends who talked about college a lot, in a clear, non-stressful way and when the time came, their children had a lot of clarity in their process as a result. It really does depend on family culture, school culture, and the personality of the student.</p>
<p>Our schools are now permeated with standardized testing, and recently our local high school has added SAT prep classes, something that never, ever would have been offered in the years my kids attended. There is also an English class geared to essays. My feelings are now a bit old-fashioned, but it all makes me sad, and in the end, I truly think it affects education and the whole school experience for the worse.</p>