In your subject selection, you should consider increasing the number of AP classes or take more rigorous honors courses. You may also consider taking dual enrollment in the fall, spring, and/or summer to get college credit and bump up your weighted GPA. However, remember to still create a challenging but manageable workload so you can maintain a high GPA and get involved outside of academics. For more help determining what course to take click here.
If you still have not checked out or joined any clubs by the end of freshmen year, now is the time! Join or stay committed to only a few clubs, don't go overboard by joining all the clubs you can. Remember that colleges prefer to see your genuine interest, so being involved in a couple and showing leadership roles in those is better than merely attending numerous club meetings without any involvement. Quality > Quantity!! Click here to discover extracurriculars that might pique your interest.
Every high school has several established Honor Societies of great prestige. Each Honor Society has their specific eligibility requirements to apply, such as a minimum GPA and interest in a specific subject. Be on the lookout for invitations to Honor Societies, as applications tend to be due during the 3rd or 4th semester of sophomore year. To learn more about Honor Societies, click here.
Sophomore year and the summer before junior year is one of the best times to participate in an internship. Summer enhancement programs can be done at any grade level (each program may have different eligibility requirements on age / grade) but junior year is test heavy with the SAT/ACT and senior year is all about college applications. Apply to programs that interest you early on and if accepted you will have a unique and enjoyable experience to add to your resume. Click here to find internships and summer programs.
It is never too early to start building your college list! Start researching all kinds of universities (in-state, out-of-state, public, private) by looking into their programs, majors, and student life. In essence, you are building a broad list of possibilities from which you will narrow down and apply to in the coming years. Click here for more information on how to build a college list.
Start meeting with your counselor and talking about your interests, career goals, extracurriculars and junior year courses. You can also see if you are on track with your community service hours. You can also discuss if dual enrollment, SAS, and/or Early Admissions is a good fit for you. And don't forget to in the end be a person! Your counselor will write you a letter of recommendation senior year, and the more they know you as a person and student, the better the letter!
Don't procrastinate in completing your 100 community service hours requirement to graduate (may vary by school, please check with your counselor). There are countless ways to get involved and volunteer, click here for a few ideas. And remember that 100 is not the limit! Most students go above and beyond 100 volunteering hours and this makes them more competitive for college admissions and scholarships.