🎓 Sophomore College Planning Checklist

🌟 Explore Yourself & Your Future

☐ Meet with your school counselor to review your goals, academic progress, graduation requirements, and plans for the future.

☐ Explore careers, majors, and areas of interest using resources such as CFNC, BigFuture, Major Clarity, and NCcareers.org.

☐ Complete career and interest assessments to learn more about your strengths, interests, and potential career paths.

☐ Talk with family, friends, teachers, counselors, and other trusted adults about their educational and career experiences.

☐ Keep an open mind. Explore careers and pathways you may not have considered before.

📚 Build a Strong Academic Foundation

☐ Continue taking challenging courses that are appropriate for your academic goals. Use teacher and counselor input when selecting courses.

☐ Focus on earning strong grades. Your academic record will become increasingly important as you begin researching colleges.

☐ Ask for help when you need it. Take advantage of teachers, counselors, tutoring, and other school resources.

☐ Build positive relationships with teachers, counselors, classmates, and other school staff.

☐ Update your Four-Year Plan and make sure your courses are keeping you on track for graduation and your future goals.

☐ Explore AP courses for next year and consider which advanced courses may be a good fit for your interests and academic goals.

☐ Explore your AP Potential and learn about the courses available at your school.

🏫 Start Exploring Colleges

☐ Begin researching two- and four-year colleges using CFNC College Search, BigFuture, and other college-search tools.

☐ Start a preliminary college list based on your interests, potential majors, location, size, cost, and campus environment.

☐ Learn about college admission requirements and the types of courses, testing, and academic preparation colleges may expect.

☐ Visit a college campus in person or virtually to get a feel for different types of college environments.

☐ Attend college fairs and college representative visits when opportunities are available.

☐ Connect with colleges and begin learning about scholarship opportunities.

☐ Talk with your family about college expectations and costs so you can begin thinking about what options may be realistic for you.

📝 Explore College Credit Opportunities

☐ Learn about opportunities to earn college credit while in high school, including AP courses, Career & College Promise, dual enrollment, and Early College options.

☐ Explore AP resources and learn how AP courses and exams may provide college credit.

☐ Commit to taking AP exams if you are enrolled in AP courses.

☐ Review your AP exam scores and learn how different colleges award credit for AP coursework.

🧭 Prepare for College Entrance Tests

☐ Learn about the SAT, ACT, and other college entrance requirements.

☐ Take the PSAT/NMSQT, if offered, as an opportunity to practice and become familiar with the test.

☐ Review your PSAT/NMSQT results and use them to identify areas where you can improve.

☐ Take the Pre-ACT, if offered, and use your results to help identify areas for improvement.

☐ Use free SAT and ACT preparation resources through CFNC, College Board, and other reputable sources.

☐ Begin learning which colleges require or recommend the SAT or ACT.

💰 Learn About Paying for College

☐ Learn about the different types of financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work-study, and student loans.

☐ Research college costs and learn the difference between the advertised price and the amount families may actually pay.

☐ Begin exploring scholarships through CFNC, colleges, community organizations, and other reputable sources.

☐ Talk with your family about paying for college and begin identifying questions you may want to ask colleges about financial aid.

🌱 Get Involved & Build Experience

☐ Stay involved in extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, arts, volunteering, service learning, employment, or other activities that interest you.

☐ Work toward completing your required Service Learning hours.

☐ Look for opportunities to develop leadership skills and become more involved in activities that are meaningful to you.

☐ Consider a summer job, internship, volunteer opportunity, or summer learning program related to an area of interest.

☀️ Use Your Summer Well

☐ Continue exploring colleges and careers that interest you.

☐ Visit a college campus if possible.

☐ Explore summer learning programs, internships, jobs, or volunteer opportunities.

☐ Review your academic and career goals and think about what you want to accomplish during junior year.

☐ Stay motivated and use the summer to prepare for a successful junior year.