ACTION PLANS FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS

What can Juniors do now?

• Explore the Post Secondary Website. Almost any question you'd have about applying to college is answered somewhere here!

• Meet with your counselor. Discuss your academic plan and goals for life after high school.

• Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT (October) and the SAT (April). The first is excellent practice for the SAT, the second could help boost the odds of college acceptance, and both offer potential scholarship opportunities with high enough scores.

• Think about Career & Major choices. Take the career interest survey in Scoir & explore RoadTrip Nation.

• Inquire about Letters of Recommendation. Ask ONE teacher from junior year how they are handling letters of rec requests for next fall. If the teacher is accepting requests now, verify that your potential colleges require LORs and what the deadlines are.

• Decide what’s important to you in a college. Research college profiles in Scoir to learn about their academic programs, location, size, cost, activities, athletics, etc., and compare your top choices.

• Search for matching schools in Scoir. Use filters to find colleges that fit your goals. View Scattergrams to see our students’ results from years past. Click the college name to view individual websites, understand their course requirements, take virtual tours, etc.

• Visit colleges you’re interested in. Go in person if you can! If it’s not feasible, sign up for rep visits here at AHS, go to college fairs, and look for on-line tours!

• Build your Scoir profile. This information will go into your applications, so keep it updated! Add your GPA & Test scores (scores from tests taken at AHS update automatically). 

• Download the Scoir Mobile App.

• Have the “Money” talk. Discuss what your budget is and how you’ll pay.

• Search for scholarships. Most scholarships come directly from colleges, but there are some local/regional opportunities available for juniors. See our list & start applying!

• Apply for COF (College Opportunity Fund) if you plan to attend college in Colorado. If you have taken CE courses at Arapahoe, you already have a COF account.

• Explore WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) to see if any colleges you’re interested in are part of the reduced-tuition program.

• Maintain a good GPA. Upward trends matter, so don’t give up if you didn’t do well early on!

• Stay involved. Whether you’re interested in sports, clubs, working, etc., put in enough time to show that you are a contributing member of your community. Find a way to volunteer on a regular basis if you can!

• Summer after Junior Year: 

• Re-take the ACT or SAT, if needed

• Refine your college list.  Try to identify 8 colleges to add to your Top Choices list in Scoir.

• Research application requirements

• Update resume & test scores in Scoir

• Complete the Class of 2025 Biography

• Optional: Begin the Common App

What can Sophomores do now?

• Meet with your counselor and visit the Post-Secondary Center to ask questions. Your counselor can talk to you about your goals, interests, strengths, etc., and help you make a plan to be successful. It's easy to make an appointment! The Postsecondary Center is open Tuesday-Friday

• Take practice college entrances exams. You will take the PSAT10 at school in the spring, but you may also take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall if you're interested.

• Begin to think about possible career goals/interests. You will take career interest surveys on Naviance during Tribe, and you can also check out Road Trip Nation for great videos on career options. Don’t forget to visit the Post-Secondary Center for resources!

• Continue extracurricular activities and participation in enrichment programs. This doesn't have to be an official club or sport at AHS -- get a job, volunteer in your community, or join a local philanthropic organization!

• Work hard academically. Colleges will see 9th, 10th, and 11th grade coursework and grades when you apply in the fall of your 12th grade year.

• Plan for 11th grade coursework. Take CE and AP course if you're up for it!

• Familiarize yourself with Scoir. You can work directly with your counselor to get an introduction to the Naviance tools relevant to you right now.  

• Research colleges. Attend college fairs & college visits in the spring if you're planning to attend college after high school.

What can Freshmen do now?

• Meet with your counselor and visit the Post-Secondary Center to ask questions. Your counselor can talk to you about your goals, interests, strengths, etc., and help you make a plan to be successful. It's easy to make an appointment! The Postsecondary Center is open Tuesday-Friday

• Participate in extra-curricular activities and develop leadership skills. Join one of Arapahoe's many clubs or athletic teams, play an instrument, sing in the chorus, get a job, volunteer -- colleges want to know how you spend your time outside the classroom, so find something you love doing & get out there!

• Review general college admission requirements. You can search for colleges in Scoir (if you've joined) or any other search tool on our website to start exploring schools that might interest you and what they require. Some have extremely high GPA/SAT requirements, some have guaranteed admissions for everyone who applies -- take a look at a few to get an idea of what you might need to do during your high school years to get in.

• Learn what it means to take college prep courses. Most colleges require or recommend at least 4 years of English, 4 years of Math through at least Algebra II, 3 years of Science, 3 years of Social Studies, 1-2 years of Foreign Language, and electives like fine/performing art. See Colorado's HEAR Recommendations for more.

• Talk with your parents/guardians about your college financing plan. Check out our financial aid and scholarship pages to learn more.

• Complete the following tasks in Scoir:

  • Start building out your Scoir profile (write a personal bio and begin adding sports, activities, or clubs you're involved in) 

  • Let Scoir know if you're a first-generation student 

  • Download the Scoir Student Mobile App 

  • Invite your parent/guardian(s) to join you on Scoir. When students add parents/ guardians on Scoir, you'll be better able to communicate with one another, sign Early Decision agreements if the time comes, etc. 

How can parents help?

Beginning Freshman Year

• Visit a college campus together. It’s a great way to get your 9th-grader excited about college! It's not necessary to take an official tour at this stage -- just drive through any campus you find yourself near one and begin exploring what's appealing and what's not.

• Get the facts about what college costs. Start by reading Understanding College Costs.

• Help your freshman explore career ideas. He or she can make a list of interests, talents and favorite activities and start matching them with occupations. 

• Make sure your child meets with the school counselor to talk about college and career options and to choose the most-appropriate classes.

• Help your child set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps to stay motivated.

• Ask about schoolwork regularly. Knowing what's coming up can help head off problems before they occur. 

• Encourage involvement in extracurricular activities. Staying engaged this way helps students identify interests and shows that students value being part of a community -- something colleges really want to see

• Start thinking about financial aid. 7 Things You Need to Know About Financial Aid is a great resources, and you can also learn more here on our website. You can use the College Savings Calculator  to get an idea of where you are compared with your savings goal.

• Discuss next year’s classes. Make sure your child will be challenging himself/herself and taking the courses college admission officers expect to see.

• Help start a college list. With your own Scoir account, you can suggest colleges that might be a good fit for your child. 

• Discuss the impact of taking challenging courses like AP/CE/honors courses. While only AP offers a boost in GPA, any advanced courses demonstrates academic interest and ability. Colleges consider course rigor, regardless of whether or not a school weights grades.

Beginning Sophomore Year

• Help your 10th-grader prepare for the PSAT 10 (offered each October). Taking the test can help prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT, which can potentially qualify students for great scholarships at many schools around the country. Khan Academy is an excellent free resource for practice. 

• Make a college wish list together. Talk with your 10th-grader about qualities he or she may want in a college in terms of location, size, majors offered and so on. Check out How to Find a College That Fits You to learn more about deciding on college must-haves.

• Help your child stay organized. It's all to easy for the rapidly-developing teen-age brain to become forgetful & disorganized! You can help with regular reminders to check email, working together to build weekly to-do lists, and asking about upcoming deadlines.

Beginning Junior Year

• Help your junior get ready for the PSAT/NMSQT (October) and the SAT (April). The first is excellent practice for the SAT, the second could help boost the odds of college acceptance, and both offer potential scholarship opportunities with high enough scores.

• Search together for colleges that meet your child’s needs. See our Search Guide for resources.

• Help your child research scholarships. This form of financial aid provides money for college that doesn’t need to be repaid. Learn more through College Board’s Scholarship Search and our own Scholarship Guide.

• Attend college fairs and financial aid events. These events allow you to meet with college representatives and get answers to questions. Use our handy list of questions to spark conversation with Admissions Officers.

• Help your child make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Help your high schooler look into summer learning programs or find a job or internship.