Your successful postsecondary plan is built piece by piece over your entire time in high school. The classes you take, the grades you earn, and what you do with your hours outside the classroom will all be considered by admission officers or employers looking to build communities that fit their own campus cultures or workplace. Check out these helpful tips:
When choosing high school classes, focus on improving strengths, identifying weaknesses, and exploring interests. Admission officers from colleges will say you should take the most challenging classes you can comfortably manage. They want you to have balance in your life. If all you’re doing is studying, you’re not comfortably managing your courses. If you decide to drop a class, ask yourself what will you do with the time created by dropping X? If you take course Y instead, what message will that send? If you want to hang with your friends who all have X period free, that sends a different message. Look over the DHS course options. Talk to friends and teachers who know something about classes that look interesting to you. How much work is involved? Is it work you want to be doing? Will it help you further your goals?
When choosing extracurricular activities, focus on exploring interests, having fun, and improving skills. Take advantage of the balance you’ve created by choosing your courses wisely and use some time exploring areas of interest. What do you care about: Kids? Animals? Robots? Writing? Sports? Music? Earning money? If you find something you like, stick with it, get better, and consider ways to take on leadership roles. If it doesn’t turn out to be what you thought it was, find something new. If you’re doing something merely because you think you should be, or because it will “look good” on your applications, then it is not likely to help you. What will matter most to the admission officers who read your application are the things that matter most to you. Track all of your activities in Maia: Click on "Portfolio" and then "Experiences". This is a nice, organized way to track your involvement and easily transfer information to applications in your senior year.
Asking yourself questions can help you figure out who you are and where you want to go. Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts as you begin to think more deeply about your likes, dislikes, hopes and desires for the future. Postsecondary planning starts with you knowing yourself first — not grabbing a list of well-known colleges or attractive careers. Here are a few sample questions to consider. Be open to this journey of self-discovery, and embrace the fact that you will grow and change over time. Use Maia to Journal: Click on "Portfolio" and then "Journals".
Plan a meaningful summer. Summer is right around the corner. You should seek a balance of organized activities with fun downtime. Share your hopes for summer with your parent(s) or guardian(s), and make sure that you show initiative in planning out a summer that is rewarding to you both intellectually and socially. Check out these out:
IACAC Summer Programs for High School Students
Plan on attending a local college fair. College fairs are terrific opportunities to collect admissions information on potential schools and explore your options! Learn how to make a great first impression on college reps and get the most out of your college fair. Register for a college fair in your area, more fairs are added regularly.
Make a commitment to visit one local college between now and the end of the school year. That experience can be a great reference point as you begin to figure out what you’re looking for in a school.
Recommended Reading
This is also a great Time Management Worksheet to select courses and determine extracurricular activities for the year. Don't forget to factor in 8-10 hours of sleep per night! (adapted from a worksheet developed by Miramonte High School)
100 Brave/Interesting Questions + NYT Writing Prompts for Students: Start keeping a journal—here are some questions for inspiration.
Could your high school grades be worth $100k? If you’re wondering whether your grades matter (yes, they do), then read this article to learn more about merit-based financial aid.
Feeling like you’re falling behind in a class? Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and the sooner, the better. Check in with your teacher. Ask older students and/or peers if they might be open to tutoring. Form a study group.
Values Exercise (video): Use your priority values to guide your extracurricular choices. This is a great time to deepen your involvement in the clubs/teams/jobs that excite you— maybe take on a leadership role. Or sign up for a new club? Or start your own?
Founded in 2006, College Bound Opportunities (CBO) has been mentoring, motivating and preparing under-served students from high schools in Highland Park (since 2007), Deerfield (2008), Lake Forest (2011), and Buffalo Grove (2017), Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan (2016) and Vernon Hills High School to attend and graduate from college. CBO is a not-for-profit organization that provides qualifying students with personal mentoring, academic support, career preparation, and financial support as needed while in college. CBO has assisted more than 200 students in realizing their goal of a college education.
To qualify as a CBO scholar, you must:
be a high school sophomore
have a strong academic record with a GPA average of B- or greater
must demonstrate real financial need
More information about CBO: https://cbo4success.org/
If you are selected as a CBO scholar, you will be paired with a CBO mentor. Your mentor will work with you, your family, and your school and postsceondary counselors to help you determine which college is best for you academically, socially, culturally and financially. Your mentor may also help you complete applications for admission and scholarships, and CBO will help you and your family with the application for financial aid. Your mentor will continue to coach you during your four years of college. CBO also offers you the opportunity to earn a monetary scholarship that is renewable each year of college, providing you maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 and carry the minimum number of credit hours each semester that will allow you to graduate in four years.
The CBO College Access staff assists with the following:
College applications, essays, financial aid & scholarship applications
Standardized test prep & academic tutoring
College counseling, meeting with college representatives and campus visits
Workshops on transitioning from high school to college
Members of the CBO College Persistence team provide:
Assistance connecting students with campus resources
Weekly check-ins with CBO Staff
Review of class schedules & credits to ensure timely graduation
Up to $8,000 financial assistance for tuition & fees, room & board over 4 years.
NSHSS | National Society of High School Scholars
While NSHSS may offer valuable opportunities for some students, it's essential to approach enrollment with caution and carefully evaluate the costs and benefits. Students should research alternative options and consider whether NSHSS aligns with their academic and personal goals before making a decision. We would encourage you to read below before applying.
NSHSS is a legitimate honor society. It claims to have over 7.5 million members from more than 170 countries and has resources for college-bound students. However, the issue with NSHSS, based on general consensus among college admission counselors, is that it’s not that exclusive and offers relatively little return to member students. The $75 membership fee is much better spent on upcoming college applications. In reality, a relatively small amount of those enrollment fees is given out as scholarships. Chances are, it will not help fund a student's education, since only a small fraction of new members receive an award. The scholarships they claim to award are relatively rare and difficult to obtain. Most grant aid and scholarships are awarded from the college once the student is accepted. And joining will not cast a student in a more favorable light or give them any advantage in the college application process.
Evaluate the Details
Here are some things you should do before you register for any award programs that solicited your participation:
Ask college admissions staff. Have they heard of the program? Do they have a favorable opinion of it? Would they consider it an achievement or an impressive accomplishment if they saw it on your resume? Do they think it is worth the registration fee?
Check the National Association of Secondary Principal’s List of Approved Programs for Students. From their website “The purpose of this list—developed through NASSP’s National Committee on Student Contests, Programs, and Activities—is to assist principals, teachers, parents, and students in determining the legitimacy and educational value of a variety of external student program opportunities.”
Ask yourself if you will get value from the program beyond any potential prestige. Is the information you receive worth the cost or time?
If you are considering paying the registration fee or purchasing the bound book with your name listed because you think these types of honors may “look good” to colleges, it is our opinion that you should skip the “opportunity”.
How to spot scams targeting teens and their families.
Next time you get an email or letter in the mail announcing an “opportunity”
If it is an honor or award, has my child done something specific to earn this honor? (writing a winning essay, competing in a national event, completing the requirements for an organizational award, etc.)
Have other neighbors or friends received the same communication? It can’t be exclusive or prestigious if the majority of students (or family pets) receive it.
Is payment required? You should NEVER have to pay to apply for or receive a scholarship. Membership in some national organizations may involve a registration fee, but most have a local chapter representative who you can ask (i.e. the debate coach who represents your chapter of the National Speech & Debate Association or the NHS sponsor who represents your chapter of the National Honor Society.)
Is this a recognized organization? It can be hard to keep up, so when in doubt, check the National Association of Secondary Principals’ list of activities and contests that offer actual academic value. These programs have to demonstrate some benefit to participating students.
Are you considering it solely to “look good to colleges”? There is no silver bullet for admission—no single activity, club, or award that will help you get in. Students should pursue interests and talents. This may be the most genuine way to avoid scam.
There have been many complaints filed over the years, so we want to make students aware: https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/brookhaven/profile/educational-consultant/the-national-society-of-high-school-scholars-0443-12000946/complaints
During sophomore year, students have hopefully settled into the routines and structure of high school. Sophomore year is a great time to explore career and college options, school programs, and extracurricular activities while still having sufficient time to participate in a variety of experiences and develop skills. The summer between sophomore and junior year is a great time to transition into school leadership roles and seek work-based learning opportunities.
Do my set of extracurricular activities align with my passions, interests, or future dreams?
How can I develop leadership, communication, and collaboration skills?
What advanced, honors, or other specialized courses should I consider taking to challenge myself or explore interests?
What summer programs, jobs, or other opportunities might help me learn more about a career I am interested in?