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Why Start in 10th Grade?
If you're starting college prep in 10th grade, the time for exploration is narrowing. This is when you commit to your areas of interest and go deep.
Common Questions
We often hear these types of questions from parents of 10th graders:
- Why should we start in 10th grade?
- What will my child be doing?
- Is it too late to build a strong extracurricular profile?
- What if my kid doesn't know their interest?
- How should we think about AP courses and academic planning?
- What would a sports recruitment path look like for my child?
What Our Students Are Doing in 10th Grade
Here is what to expect as a parent when you enroll your child in the 10th grade:
- Talent, Interests & Self-Discovery: Through an in-depth assessment of your transcripts, aptitudes, personality, and EQ, we determine whether to deepen focus on one area or expand to explore 2–3 areas of interest.
- Skill Building & Academic Habits: Begin serious SAT/ACT prep with a coach. Targeting skill gaps and refine test-taking strategy, study habits, and time management. Reassess your academic track to determine whether to accelerate or strengthen your current path.
- Community Impact & Project Work: Identify leadership positions and the path toward them. Scale existing community impact work. For students joining our program in 10th grade, we evaluate whether partnering with an organization already making an impact is a stronger move than starting something new.
- Independent Study & Personal Projects: Continue advancing independent studies and personal projects in your focus areas. The difference in 10th grade is ROI. Prioritize work most likely to earn recognition, win competitions, and open doors to mentors and selective summer opportunities.
- Course Selection & Summer Planning: This is your last chance to introduce advanced rigor when selecting your 11th-grade classes. The courses you take now determine which schools are within reach. Pursue selective summer programs, hands-on experiences, or a meaningful job in your areas of interest.
- Networking & Mentorship Development: Deepen relationships with mentors and continue interviewing professionals in your areas of interest. Every connection is a potential letter of recommendation, open door, or opportunity you wouldn't find on your own.
- Sports & Athletic Recruitment: 10th grade is a pivotal year. Track your results and close the gap between your current ability and college-level athletes. Begin targeting 5 to 10 schools, attend camps and clinics to get in front of coaches, and build your athlete brand with a clear social media and content strategy.
- Family Check-Ins & Support: As the stakes get higher, your perspective matters more than ever. Join us at key check-ins to share what you're observing at home and where your child needs to grow. We'll make sure you understand what colleges are evaluating right now and that you feel confident in the path ahead.
Deliverables and Results
By the end of 10th grade, we should have the following:
- Stacks of Evidence in Areas of Interest
- Community Impact with Measurable Results
- Personal Projects Developed with Mentorship
- Summer Pathway Set With Real-World Experiences
- SAT/ACT Prep Progress Nearing Completion
Our Coaching Approach
We follow a structured format to ensure kids get the highest value possible in school and out of school
- Biweekly sessions with the student
- Quarterly parent reviews (additional check-ins as needed)
- Update emails tracking progress and action items after every session
- We play the role of consultant, coach, and teacher as needed
Long-Term Roadmap
See our roadmap for your child's learning
Who Is This For?
- Families applying to top 50 schools
- Families who want to make the most of the two and a half remaining years of high school
- Students entering 10th grade who are ready to commit to their interests and go deep
- Students who do not yet have a clear direction or set of interests
What does this cost?
View Pricing
This program has up to 12 flexible sessions with Kate Stone Prep
See Pricing Options
Book a Consultation Call
Ready to take the next step, book a consultation call with our team
Fall Semester
Academics / In-School
Keep grades strong with targeted tutoring
Add rigor where appropriate (Honors/AP if ready)
Stay involved in aligned clubs, groups, and sports
Take the PSAT (if offered)
Begin early career/major awareness
Community Impact
Pursue deeper service activities aligned with interests
Start exploring possible long-term community roles
Begin identifying real problems you may want to solve
Building Stacks of Evidence
Continue Book-a-Month reading
Pursue awards/competitions aligned with academic or interest areas
Start or continue a personal project
Begin career aptitude + personality assessments (from documents)
Networking
Meet with your Board of Advisors
Research professors, organizations, and leaders in areas of interest
Begin light outreach for internships/shadowing
Deepen relationships with existing mentors
College Admissions
Take PSAT
Begin demonstrating interest in possible schools
⭐ Elite Track: Early testing diagnostics for SAT/ACT
What does this cost?
View Pricing
This program has up to 12 flexible sessions with Kate Stone Prep
See Pricing Options
Book a consultation call
Ready to take the next step book a consultation call with our team
Schedule Free Consultation
Winter Break
Academics / In-School
Winter precision tutoring for midyear exams
Reset academic routines and executive functioning systems
Community Impact
Short volunteer work connected to interests
Continue developing your ongoing impact initiative
Building Stacks of Evidence
Formal Independent Study (light but structured)
Mini winter special project
Continue reading in your interest areas
Research summer programs and opportunities
Networking
Meet with Board of Advisors and share progress
Outreach to potential summer mentors or professionals
College Admissions
Begin researching potential majors/minors
⭐ Elite Track: Begin structured SAT/ACT prep if applicable
What does this cost?
View Pricing
This program has up to 12 flexible sessions with Kate Stone Prep
See Pricing Options
Book a consultation call
Ready to take the next step book a consultation call with our team
Schedule Free Consultation
Spring Semester
Academics / In-School
Maintain strong grades with tutoring support
Possibly increase course rigor for 11th grade
Practice ACT or begin early SAT prep (from 10th-grade docs)
Community Impact
Pursue leadership roles in community projects
Increase scope and depth of community impact work
Solidify plans for summer involvement
Building Stacks of Evidence
Continue independent studies and projects
Competitions/awards aligned with potential majors
Read 2–3 books related to your academic or interest fields
Begin a more formal personal project (documents mention “deep dives”)
Networking
Conduct informational interviews (25 people benchmark for deeper interest exploration)
Meet with Board of Advisors to plan summer
Continue mentor communication and relationship nurturing
College Admissions
Refine early college interests
Begin researching schools and academic programs
Start building a loose list of colleges
What does this cost?
View Pricing
This program has up to 12 flexible sessions with Kate Stone Prep
See Pricing Options
Book a consultation call
Ready to take the next step book a consultation call with our team
Schedule Free Consultation
Summer Semester
Academics / In-School (Summer Learning)
2–3 formal independent studies: college courses, certifications, selective programs
Continue interest-aligned learning through camps or programs
Community Impact
Implement deeper community impact solutions
Expand responsibilities or leadership within a project
Possibly pilot a community initiative
Building Stacks of Evidence
Real-world experience (internship, job, shadowing)
Advanced personal project completion
Participate in selective summer programs (if accepted)
Continue portfolio development
Networking
Interview, shadow, or connect with professionals in your interest areas
Thank and re-engage mentors and advisors
Add new summer contacts to your network
College Admissions
⭐ Core Track: Begin SAT/ACT Prep (for general population)
Refine early list of potential colleges
Begin researching major requirements at target schools
What does this cost?
View Pricing
This program has up to 12 flexible sessions with Kate Stone Prep
See Pricing Options
Book a consultation call
Ready to take the next step book a consultation call with our team
Schedule Free Consultation
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