The beginning of high school is a great time to start thinking about the possibilities for your future. Discover the types of careers that fit your interests and consider the high school coursework you can take to strategically align with graduation requirements, college preparation and scholarship opportunities.
Use this checklist to get a head start.
Use Your Resources — Talk about the ideas, plans and goals you have for your future with family members and your school counselor. You don’t have to have all the answers, but these discussions can help you envision the possibilities.
Understand Your Career Interests
Take an interest and skills assessment to understand how your interests and skills align with the world of work — free tests are available online.
SDMyLife (Students can log in with their school email (K12) credentials or request their username from an educator or school counselor at their school.)
Research career fields and the education needed to prepare for various careers.
Explore different extracurricular activities offered at your high school. Not only can these foster new friendships, but they also help you explore your passions and career interests.
Familiarize yourself with the many colleges in South Dakota. Browse their academic program offerings and learn about the support and activities each can offer their students.
Start thinking about how you might pay for college – saving money, learning about financial aid , and understanding scholarship options available in South Dakota is a great start.
Set Strategic Coursework Goals
Set a goal to take the high school courses required to qualify for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship. (With the right coursework and ACT score, you can receive up to $7,500 for college!)
Familiarize yourself with the math pathway advising tools on ourdakotadreams.com. These tools will help you understand the types of math courses you should consider taking in high school based on your career interests.
Find Other Opportunities
Participate in South Dakota's Week of Work to explore, experience, and engage in work-based learning opportunities!
Check out Career Ready SD for how work-based learning can help you learn about potential careers by connecting with local businesses to explore, engage, and experience as you grow toward your future career goals.
Check out career camps that are offered and enroll in a summer enrichment program.
Think about what you have learned since the start of high school — have you gained any new interests? Discovered new hobbies? This information is important and should be applied to your continued consideration of your future goals.
Use this checklist to help get prepared.
Use Your Resources
Talk about the ideas, plans and goals you have for your future with family members and your school counselor. You don’t have to have all the answers, but these discussions can help you envision the possibilities.
Schedule a visit with your school counselor to ensure you are on the right path and taking advantage of the opportunities to help you meet your career and college goals.
Understand Your Career Interests.
Take an interest and skills assessment to understand how your interests and skills align with the world of work — free tests are available online.
SDMyLife (Students can log in with their school email (K12) credentials or request their username from an educator or school counselor at their school.)
Research career fields and the education needed to prepare for various careers.
Participate in different extracurricular activities offered at your high school to learn what you enjoy
Familiarize yourself with the many colleges in South Dakota. Browse their academic program offerings and learn about the activities and support each can offer their students.
Start thinking about how you might pay for college – saving money, learning about financial aid, and understanding scholarship options available in South Dakota is a great start.
Set Coursework Strategic Goals
Familiarize yourself with the math pathways advising tools on ourdakotadreams.com. These tools will help you understand the types of math courses you should consider taking in high school based on your career interests.
Set a goal to take the high school courses required to qualify for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship. (With the right coursework and ACT score, you can receive up to $7,500 for college!)
Review your high school course plan and think about taking courses that align with your possible career interests. If your school doesn’t offer them, ask your school counselor if there are virtual options you should consider.
Consider taking High School Dual Credit classes during your junior year so you can earn college credit while still in high school.
Consult with your school counselor to ensure you are on track to be eligible for High School Dual Enrollment coursework
See the Dual Credit Advisory Tools and certificate opportunities on our dakota dreams .com to help you consider the course options that would most benefit you based on your interests.
Find Other Opportunities
Participate in South Dakota's Week of Work to explore, experience, and engage in work-based learning opportunities!
Check out Career Ready SD for how work-based learning can help you learn about potential careers by connecting with local businesses to explore, engage, and experience as you grow toward your future career goals.
Look into internship opportunities to earn money while getting first-hand career experience.
Engage in career exploration, including career camps and summer enrichment programs like HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership) or Boys State and Girls State.
As you continue to move through high school, make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities offered and consistently work with your school counselor to ensure you meet your goals. Use this checklist to stay on track.
FALL SEMESTER:
Use Your Resources
Talk with your school counselor about your options and plans for life after high school. They can help you be strategic-- connecting you to the right coursework, scholarship opportunities, work-based learning and volunteer experiences-- to make you marketable for the future.
Prepare, Register & Take the ACT
Research pre-college testing to determine which test(s) you plan to take. Pre-college tests may be important to college admissions and are required for certain scholarship opportunities.
Find test dates for the ACT and/or SAT test dates and register up to six weeks ahead!
Note: : All Juniors at public high schools will take the ACT at school as part of the state assessment in the spring. This score not only counts for your school’s accountability report card, but it can also be used for your college and scholarship planning.
Explore ACT prep and/or SAT prep courses or investigate self-guided study plans. The self-paced Methodize ACT Prep is available at no cost to all South Dakota Students in grades 9-12 on SDMyLife.com.
Consider whether you’d like to take the PSAT in October. A high score on the PSAT could qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Explore Colleges and Academic Programs
Consider how college programs of study align with your interests and familiarize yourself with college admissions requirements
Begin planning college visits. . These visits are a great way to get a feel for the schools — fall and winter break are good times to go!
Attend college fairs in your region to learn as much as you can about the colleges that interest you.
Talk to college admissions representatives who come to your high school. Admissions representatives are great at taking your career interests and other college search criteria and then pointing you in the right direction.
Consider Coursework Opportunities
Familiarize yourself with the math pathways advising tools on ourdakotadreams.com. These tools will help you understand the types of math courses you should take in high school depending on your career interests.
Visit with your school counselor on coursework opportunities that save you time and money in college and prepare you for potential career plans. A tougher course load may pay off with scholarships and help you get admitted to the college of your choice.
Stay on track to qualify for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship by making sure you are taking the right coursework.
Look into High School Dual Credit courses for the spring semester. See the dual credit advisory tools and certificate opportunities on ourdakotadreams.com to help you consider the types of courses that would most benefit you based on your interests.
SPRING SEMESTER:
Develop your senior schedule.
Organize your personal learning plan.
Make sure you're on track by reviewing your high school curriculum requirements, and talk to your school counselor if you have questions.
Access the math pathways advising tools on ourdakotadreams.com. These tools will help you understand the types of math courses you will need to take in college depending on your degree program. You might even be able to complete them through dual credit, saving you time and money in college.
Keep the following coursework opportunities in mind:
Take the ACT
All Juniors at public high schools will take the ACT at school as part of the state assessment. This score not only counts for your school's accountability report card, but it can also be used for your college and scholarship planning
Take Advantage of Work-Based Learning Opportunities
Celebrate your school's work-based learning opportunities during South Dakota's Week of Work, if your school participates
Consider a summer job or internship. These experiences provide valuable information about work while earning money.
Learn About Paying for College
Investigate opportunities for financial aid
Get an estimate of how much federal student aid you may be eligible to receive through the Federal Student Aid Estimator
Prepare to Apply for Scholarships
Research scholarship opportunities on the Statewide Scholarship Bulletin Board and use a spreadsheet to track important deadlines so you can be ready to start applying early in your senior year.
SUMMER:
Congratulations! You are officially a senior in high school, which means graduation is getting closer and closer! With that comes the extra importance os staying on top of your to-do list and completing the tasks that will help you easily transition into your future.
AUGUST:
Stay on track -- Visit with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate high school and meet college admission requirements.
Research scholarship opportunities on the Statewide Scholarship Bulletin Board, and use a spreadsheet to track important deadlines.
SEPTEMBER:
Ask for personal references from teachers, school counselors, or employers early in the year (or at least two weeks before college and/or scholarship application deadlines).
Take (or Re-Take) the ACT and/or SAT, if you haven't already. If you need to sharpen your skills, consider taking the free, self-paced Methodize ACT Prep available to all South Dakota Students in grades 9-12 on SDMyLife.com
Explore Colleges and Academic Programs
Talk to College Admission representatives. They are there to help you navigate the process of entering college. They can give you tips on connecting your career interests with college search criteria and finding scholarships you should consider.
If you haven't already, schedule a college visit to those schools you are interested in learning more about.
Apply for Scholarships
Search scholarship opportunities on the Statewide Scholarship Bulletin Board, and use a spreadsheet to keep track of important scholarship deadlines.
Apply for college-specific scholarships by their stated priority deadlines for the best opportunity to receive money!
Call the admissions offices, financial aid offices, and the academic program departments at the college(s) you are interested in to make sure you are aware of all your scholarship opportunities.
Prepare
The FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the major factor in determining the financial aid you may qualify for
Create your account at StudentAid.gov by setting up your FSA ID while you wait for the FAFSA application to open October 1. Your FSA ID is your username and password for your StudentAid.gov account. You and anyone contributing to your FAFSA (like a parent) will need their own StudentAid.gov account
Find out if your school holds an informational event on FAFSA and attend
If you need additional assistance, families and students can get the answers to college planning and financial aid questions for free by contacting Mapping Your Future via email (feedback@mappingyourfuture.org) or phone (1-800-374-4072). Mapping Your Future is a nonprofit organization funded by the South Dakota Community Foundation.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER:
Apply for College (Ideal Time: October-November)
Apply to South Dakota’s technical colleges and public universities for free during the Free College Application Period
Ask your high school to send your transcript to the colleges where you’ve applied.
Share ACT, Accuplacer, and other test scores with the colleges to which you’ve applied
Pay attention to priority deadlines for college-specific scholarships and the requirements for particular academic programs
Complete the FAFSA
The 2026-2027 FAFSA application is scheduled to open October 1. (This application will require 2024 tax data.)
Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for all funding opportunities and to meet any financial aid priority deadlines set by the college or university.
Continue to Explore Colleges and Academic Programs
Consider how college programs of study align with your interests and familiarize yourself with college admissions requirements
Attend college fairs in your region to learn as much as you can about the colleges that interest you
Schedule a college visit if you haven't already.
Talk to college admissions representatives who come to your high school. Admissions representatives are great at taking your career interests and other college search criteria and then pointing you in the right direction.
Take Advantage of Coursework Opportunities
Visit with your school counselor on coursework opportunities that save you time and money in college.
Consider taking High School Dual Credit courses in the spring semester. (Remember to keep working hard! Dual credit courses show up on your college transcript and affect your GPA.)
Access the math pathways advising tools on ourdakotadreams.com. These tools will help you understand the types of math courses you will need to take in college depending on your degree program. You might even be able to complete them through dual credit, saving you time and money in college.
DECEMBER:
Continue to Apply for
Search scholarship opportunities on the Statewide Scholarship Bulletin Board, and use a spreadsheet to keep track of important scholarship deadlines.
Apply for college-specific scholarships by their stated priority deadlines for the best opportunity to receive money!
Call the admissions offices, financial aid offices and the academic program departments at the college(s) you are interested in to make sure you are aware of all your scholarship opportunities.
JANUARY-MARCH:
Continue to Apply for Scholarships
Search Search scholarship opportunities on the, Statewide Scholarship Bulletin Board and use a spreadsheet to keep track of important scholarship deadlines.
Apply for college-specific scholarships by their stated priority deadlines for the best opportunity to receive money!
Call the admissions offices, financial aid offices and the academic program departments at the college(s) you are interested in to make sure you are aware of all your scholarship opportunities.
Keep working hard all year -- Second semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.
APRIL-MAY:
Decision Time (Ideal Time: April)
With your college applications and FAFSA submitted, now compare financial aid offers from different colleges
Talk it out with friends, family, teachers and your school counselor, and decide which college you want to attend.
Once you select your college, find out and follow the required steps and deadlines to officially enroll.
Keep track of and observe deadlines for sending in all required fees and paperwork.
Figure out your housing situation — do you plan on living at home or on campus? What are the residence halls like? Will you have a roommate?
Make plans to attend your college or university’s early registration or new student orientation programs.
Before Graduation
Request that your high school send your official final high school transcript to the college you will attend
Consider getting a summer job to help pay for some of your college expenses, and prepare a budget to manage your money while in college.
Graduate and celebrate!