First Year  planning

FALL

• COLLEGE & CAREER CENTER:  Visit the College and Career Center and become familiar with the resources available there and to meet the College and Career Advisor.

• INVOLVEMENT:  Join a club on campus or participate in an extracurricular activity.

SPRING

• MAIALearning:   

  • Click MAIALearning (https://app.maialearning.com/v3/user-login), click the Sign in with Clever 

• • • Complete the following:

      1. Profile:  Edit this information if necessary and add your parents’ information, including email addresses.  Find your Profile by clicking your profile picture, then clicking Open Profile.

      2. Activities (Experiences):  Begin building a resume to keep track of your extracurricular activities, leadership roles, summer jobs, achievements, and awards.  You will update this all four years and use it for college applications.  See Building a Resume for tips on wording it impactfully.  Maia calls your activities "experiences".  To enter your experiences:  

         1. 1. • Find Portfolio on the home page in the blue menu along the lefthand side,

               • Select Experiences at the top,

               • On the top right, click the blue button Add Experiences. 

                 1. Add hours - click box at the top that says Hours like Common Application

      3. Enrichment Programs:  Explore this area to research programs including Summer Programs, Gap Year Programs, After-School Enrichment, Volunteer Opportunities, etc. Find this by going to Enrichment on the home page in the blue menu along the lefthand side.

• EXPLORE:   Learn what you like or don’t like by exploring careers and extracurricular opportunities.  

• PLAN:  When you meet with your counselor to discuss your classes for next year, make sure the courses you select reflect an appropriate preparatory curriculum for your post-graduation plans.  If honors or AP courses are right for you, you should take them.  Remember AP courses are college-level courses and are rigorous.  For some students, it may mean not taking any AP courses, for others, it may mean taking a few during their high school career.  Colleges want to see that you challenged yourself and did well.  NOTE:  Be sure that you consider the need to have balance in your life; that you challenge yourself realistically in your academically strong areas; and that you leave room for free time, friends, family and fun.

SUMMER

• RELAX:   Family and friends are important.  

• GET INVOLVED:   Work, intern, volunteer, or shadow a professional. This will help you identify what interests you.  Stay active in your extracurricular activities.  

• LEARN:  Get involved in a summer program.   Summer is a great time to explore your interests to learn what you like or don’t like.  Examples include art, automobile maintenance, and computer coding classes.  Check out programs at local community colleges online.  See the list of opportunities in MAIALearning by clicking "Enrichment" in the blue menu bar (left side) on the home page.

• REDO:  If you received a grade of "D" or "F" in an academic a-g course, check with your counselor to see if you need to retake that course in summer school to make up that grade so that you can be eligible to apply to a California public college (CSU or UC).  See your guidance counselor for more information.

• MAIALearning:  To familiarize yourself with MAIALearning, add 2-3 colleges to the “Considering" list. Click on the ❤️ to add to your list. This will allow you to explore the college data and learn how to assess which colleges are a good fit for you.  There is no commitment to keep these colleges on this list.  This is just a learning exercise!

• EXPLORE:  Check out the CAREER EXPLORATION page to assess yourself and explore job possibilities.

ALL YEAR LONG

• PARTICIPATION:  Get involved  in school and community extracurricular activities.  Check out student government, class activities, student clubs, performing arts productions, athletics, or community service.   Students who are involved do better in school and are happier.  Do what you enjoy and what is meaningful to you.  More important than college admissions, these activities help you determine what you like and don’t like, and that knowledge helps you develop as a person.  Work is a meaningful and necessary activity and one which demonstrates your maturity and level of responsibility, and is admired by college admissions officers.

• ACADEMICS:  Complete class assignments and participate in class.  Work towards your personal best grades.  Remember, the grades you earn as a Freshman are part of your official transcript.  Colleges accept grade of “C” or better.  Earning grades of “D” or “F” means repeating classes in summer school. (Note:  Not all classes are offered during summer.)  If you earn a 3.5 or greater GPA, grades may earn scholarships for out of state tuition ($5,000-20,000 off tuition costs at various universities.) 

• ATTENDANCE:  Maintain excellent attendance.

• ACADEMY PERIOD:  Attend Academy Periods with teacher/subjects where you need assistance. 

• TOURS:  Visit college campuses when travelling on vacation or sporting events.