Grades 8–9

Build Confidence.
Explore Strengths.

You're the parent who reads ahead. If your child is in 8th or 9th grade, you're not behind — and you're not too early. You're approaching college the same way you've approached every other parenting milestone.

Schedule an Intro Conversation →

The Families Who Started Early Were Different.

We spent decades inside university enrollment offices. We reviewed thousands of applications. We watched the patterns repeat. The families who arrived at junior year already understanding how admissions works, how financial aid is structured, and what their student actually wanted — those families made calmer, more strategic decisions.

The families who waited found themselves reacting to timelines they couldn't control. Course selections already locked in. Extracurriculars chosen without direction. Financial aid conversations starting too late.

That's the gap we built SUM TOTAL to close. Starting in 8th or 9th grade doesn't mean rushing your child toward applications. It means your family enters high school with a shared understanding of what's ahead — so when the decisions start to matter, you've already had the conversations.

Who This Program Is For

This program is for families who prepare — not because they're anxious, but because that's how they parent. You may be wondering whether your 8th grader's course selections actually matter. Whether the extracurriculars your student is drawn to will "count." Whether there are financial decisions you should be thinking about now.

This isn't about getting ahead. It's about not starting behind. Most college counselors won't return your call until junior year. Most schools don't have the resources to guide families before then. The industry has decided you should wait. We built SUM TOTAL because we disagree.

How the Early Risers Program Works

Our program includes dedicated sessions with the student, with parents, and with the whole family together — because each relationship needs its own space.

What Your Student Experiences

Exploring the difference between curiosities and interests, and how exploration leads to discovery
Building language to talk meaningfully about goals — beyond school names and major titles
Demystifying high school so it feels like an opportunity, not a source of anxiety
Beginning thoughtful academic course planning for 9th grade
Connecting personal interests to potential academic pathways

What Parents Gain

A clear understanding of how admissions actually works — from people who've worked inside it
Tools to identify and articulate your student's strengths, challenges, and learning style
Aligned expectations for academic growth
A framework for keeping your student's perspective at the center of the process

What the Family Builds Together

Healthier conversations about school, goals, and the future
Understanding what colleges actually evaluate in admissions
The concept of academic fit, social fit, and financial fit
Tools for productive family discussions that reduce pressure and increase clarity

Program Investment

8th Grade Program

$4,060

3 hrs 15 min total · Unlimited counselor engagement

1 Family Session (45 min)

2 Student Sessions (1 hr each)

1 Parent Session (30 min)

Dedicated counselor throughout program

Unlimited engagement during program period

9th Grade Program

$5,000

4 hrs total · Unlimited counselor engagement

2 Family Sessions (45 min each)

2 Student Sessions (1 hr each)

1 Parent Session (30 min)

Dedicated counselor throughout program

Unlimited engagement during program period

Families with siblings approaching high school: ask about our sibling rate during your introductory conversation. We accept a limited number of Early Risers families each semester.

What Families Gain

By the end of Early Risers, your student enters high school with confidence and self-awareness. You enter it with clarity about what's ahead. And your family has a foundation of communication that will carry you through the decisions that come next.

A student who understands their interests and how to talk about them
Parents who know how admissions and financial aid actually work
A shared family framework for navigating the years ahead
Thoughtful academic course planning for 9th grade
The communication habits that will matter most through senior year
Time — the one resource that can't be created at the last minute

You're Not Too Early. You're Prepared.

If your student is in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade, this is the window. Schedule a 20-minute introductory conversation — no commitment, no pressure.