DISCOVER: START EARLY, BUILD YOUR PROFILE’S FOUNDATION.
Initiative
Usually the first year considered for your admissions profile, 9th grade is the period when you are expected to first show curiosity. Our objective for 9th graders is to build academic and extracurricular breadth and establish your capacity to excel.
Detailed assessment that uses survey responses to identify potential careers based on personality type and unique strengths and areas for improvement. (A precursor to intended major and college list selection.)
Guidance with introductory-level curricular course selection—e.g. IGCSE, IBMYP—along with readings, podcasts, open-access courses, summer programs, and/or in-house Academy Workshops modeled after the liberal arts focus of elite global universities, thus teaching about the various areas of study. (A precursor to intended major and college list selection.)
Guidance with selection of awards, competitions, and olympiads, along with after-school organizations, clubs, and athletic teams. (A precursor to leadership position attainment, capstone project completion, and/or athletic recruitment.)
Interactive course modules, hosted by in-house doctorate-level subject matter experts, that meet weekly over several sessions and confer experiential learning within diverse fields such as physics or photography; each course culminates in a project. (A precursor to leadership position attainment, capstone project completion, and intended major and college list selection.)
Learn to write your first high school academic research paper under in-house doctorate-level subject matter experts. Afterward, receive guidance in getting published by reputable academic journals. (A precursor to capstone project completion, and intended major and college list selection.)
Guidance with applications to prestigious introductory summer programs, providing pre-collegiate experience and meaningful networking with professors, who may later write your letter of recommendation. (A precursor to intended major and college list selection.)
Gain real-world entry-level experience in diverse fields by shadowing successful professionals or working at notable companies and organizations within Athena’s extensive network of partners — including professional skills such as cover letter, resume, and thank-you letter writing, plus interviewing. (A precursor to intended major, college list, and recommender selection.)
Weekly one-on-one sessions with your primary Athena Mentor, who guides academic subject selection, school selection, board selection, summer program and internship selection, project execution, study habits, and mental and emotional resilience.
Submit our 2-minute form for a complimentary consultation with Athena’s experts — we’ll walk you through the process.
