College Planning

In the first two weeks of school, take advantage of the no-trace drop window when adjusting your U.S. high school courses. Balance challenge with feasibility, and Han Education can help you optimize your schedule.

Course selection is about balancing GPA and course difficulty, adjusting strategy over time, and recognizing that different universities weigh them differently.

9th grade course selection sets the ceiling for future applications. Choosing the right course path lays a solid foundation for the story your application will tell.

AP course selection needs to match your own foundation and resources. Don't just follow the crowd—thoughtful choices make for a stronger application.

A guide to avoiding common course selection pitfalls in high school: don't blindly stack courses, don't skip the prerequisites, and don't just follow the crowd. Thoughtful planning is what opens up your options later.

Interdisciplinary majors let passion and career prospects coexist, and finding the overlap can strengthen an application in a way both parents and children can get behind.

Before transferring, understand how your GPA will be handled, how transcript credits are evaluated, and how to maintain relationships with recommenders, so you don't lose ground from information gaps.

Break away from the standard business-competition playbook by using real projects and original content to show genuine understanding of business and hands-on execution ability.

How to run a rigorous grade review at the end of 10th grade, figure out whether post-AP courses are a fit, and adjust your course selection strategy to strengthen competitiveness.

How to earn a summer program recommendation letter the right way: ask genuine questions, sustain real interaction, and avoid being too direct.

Chinese American families in California need to weigh tuition, alumni networks, and geographic advantages when choosing a college, aligning the decision with post-graduation career goals.

Starting in 2027, California high school students will be required to take a "personal finance" course covering banking, budgeting, investing, and more, with the Class of 2031 being the first to need it for graduation. The course strengthens financial literacy, but it won't serve as a booster for selective college applications. Families are encouraged to learn about financial aid and student loan systems alongside their child.

Summer programs play a critical role in high school applications, helping students explore their interests, get a feel for college life, and strengthen their competitiveness. We recommend planning for two programs: an introductory one in 8th–9th grade and a competitive one in 10th–11th grade. Planning ahead is what allows you to move through application season with confidence.

Summer is a critical window in the application season and needs to be planned in advance. Start by locking in the deadlines for standardized tests, essays, activities, and family commitments, then allocate your time around them. Effective students break their schedules down to a fine level, focusing on targeted practice, material gathering, and built-in rest, so the summer delivers real results.

Long hours on the phone often look like a self-discipline problem to parents, but the phone covers many needs at once. When real life feels less compelling, it becomes the default. The fix lies in daily structure and richer offline options, not in restricting phone use alone.

Late May through early June is the final golden window for U.S. high school students to adjust their course selections and handle transfer matters. Students in the Classes of 2027 and 2028 need to confirm their schedules and plan transfers, while parents should reach out to counselors, review the year's grades, and start summer transition prep to ensure a smooth application season.

The long weekend is "calibration" time for your summer plan. Through planning, focused practice, and execution prep, you can clarify your goals and turn them into an actionable plan. We recommend breaking down tasks day by day, refining your study methods, and building in time to recover. Parents can also use the long weekend to sign their child up for prep camps, strengthening their competitiveness for application season.

The second semester of 10th grade is a critical point in the application journey. We recommend reducing breadth, focusing on a few core activities, and demonstrating leadership and impact through deeper engagement. By clarifying genuine interests, selecting core activities, and taking on greater responsibility, students can build a trajectory of long-term commitment and sustained growth that strengthens their application.

The summer after 9th grade should be about exploring interests and building a clear growth narrative, not blindly stacking up activities. Parents should guide their child to reflect on how their summer experiences help clarify a future direction, rather than chasing experiences for their own sake. What matters is shaping a clear growth trajectory, not any single summer activity.

The key to admission into the COSMOS, SRA, and ASDRP programs lies in essays that demonstrate strong fit, distinctiveness, and a clear developmental arc. By reinforcing the alignment between activities and the application direction, highlighting the uniqueness of personal background and experiences, and showing a clear path of growth, students are better positioned to stand out in a competitive field.