10th Grade
Start keeping track of your activities and accomplishments - use a spreadsheet on Google Drive or another type of document that you will continually have access to throughout high school. You can later use this list to create a resume or fill out applications, and you won’t forget anything!
Visit your teachers during office hours or after school - you will want to have a strong relationship with your teachers so later on you can ask them to write letters of recommendation for colleges or serve as a reference for job applications.
Take some career assessments to start getting an idea of what you want to pursue after high school! Some assessments include:
Look for opportunities to work or volunteer with people who are professionals in careers that interest you. Stop by the school counseling office for the Community Service permission form and the log where you can record volunteer hours.
Schedule college visits. Research the schools ahead of time and don’t be afraid to ask questions on the tour! Find out what programs they offer and what life on campus will be like. Identify characteristics that you like in a school and try to avoid wanting to go to a school just based on name. Remember you will be looking for the school that is the best fit for YOU.
Sophomore students will take the PSAT mid-October 2019
Start doing test prep for the SAT/ACT.
Khan Academy uses your PSAT results to create a free studying plan for the SAT (www.collegeboard.org)
ACT Academy is a free test prep resource for the ACT (www.actstudent.org)
Khan Academy Practice - (https://www.khanacademy.org/) www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
PSAT Practice Material - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/practice
Clean up your social media accounts. Colleges and jobs use social media to get an idea of what kind of people their applicants are. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want a grandparent to see!
Do your homework and make time to review and study every day. Your grades this year matter! Your freshman and sophomore year grades go into the GPA that you will use to apply to colleges. Even if you are not happy with your current GPA, you can work to improve it!
Work with your school counselor to ensure you are fulfilling graduation requirements and planning for an appropriately rigorous schedule over the next two years.
Thinking about taking an AP course? - https://ap.collegeboard.org/
AP Credit Policy - https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies
Learn to make the most efficient use of your time
Use SMART goals to keep you on task (www.studyright.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SMART-Goals-Tracker.pdf)
Include down time in your schedule
Prepare for the ACT (www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/act-academy.html)
Review your four-year academic plan with your counselor
Plan rigorous academic courses for your junior year
Enroll in Honors, Dual Enrollment (DE), Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, which may earn college credit, if you are looking to pursue college as an option beyond high school
Extracurricular activities - Join a club or try out for a sports team
Volunteer for something you find important
Explore summer opportunities—be mindful of application deadlines Career exploration
Seek summer opportunities to work or volunteer in your field of interest
Take an interest inventory—it expands your ideas for careers you may enjoy (https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers)
Have conversations with counselors, teachers, family and community members about their career paths and what they studied in college College search
Visit campuses—think about size, location and campus programs
Attend local college fairs in your area (www.nacacfairs.org/attend/national-college-fairs)
Try online college fairs and virtual campus tours (https://campustours.com)
Use an online search engine to find colleges (http://bigfuture.collegeboard.org) Summer Summer opportunities
Create a summer reading list from teacher recommendations
Confirm your summer plans (e.g., work, academic enrichment programs, summer workshops, service learning, travel, camps, internship, campus tours) Money management
Learn about types of scholarships and grants (www.finaid.org, www.studentaid.gov)
Take a financial education course (www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/young.html)
Use the tools found on the College Affordability and Transparency Center website (https://collegecost.ed.gov) to compare and estimate your college costs.