9th Grade
- Work on study and organizational skills
- Participate in class
- If you are having difficulty in a class, do not wait too long
to seek help
- Select an extracurricular activity(ies)
- Choose an activity that you might enjoy all four years of
high school
- Think value rather than volume
- Keep a record of activities which should include:
- description of activity
- special role you played or contribution you made
- award or honor
- number of hours you spent on activity
- Relax, have fun, be a kid
10th Grade
- Extracurricular Activities
- Consider adding another extracurricular activity if you haven’t
already
- Look outside the school for extracurricular activities like
volunteering in the community
- Continue to keep a record of activities
- Take the PLAN in October
- Summer After 10th Grade
- You can start accumulating CAS hours. CAS activities not only
help you fulfill your CAS requirements, but they also look good
on your college application.
- Visit colleges during summer travel if opportunity arises
- When you return to school in the fall you will be taking the
PLAN. This summer is a good time to learn vocabulary words,
review algebra and geometry concepts, and take a few practice
PLANs.
11th Grade
- Complete summer assignments before school starts
- Many courses this year are college level so it is important to
start the year off right with your summer assignments completed,
and ready to work.
- College admission officers realize the difficulty of your
courses but they like to see students maintain or improve their
GPA.
- Continue your extracurricular activities
- Continue to keep a record of activities for CAS as well as
for your college application
- College admission officers like to see dedication to an activity
but they also like to see involvement in activities outside
of school
- Testing
- PLAN in October
- This determines standing as a National Merit Finalist
- SAT Reasoning
- Take sometime during your junior year
- Offered in November, December, January, March, May and
June of junior year
- SAT II Subject Tests
- Take the tests that your college(s) suggest
- Consider scheduling in May or June since you are already
preparing for AP and IB exams
- ACT
- AP Exams
- IB Exams
- Summer after 11th grade
- Work on rough draft of extended essay
- Complete summer assignments
- Continue CAS activities and keep a record
- Compose senior autobiography
- Visit colleges
- Call/e-mail/write colleges for applications
- Review for SAT, ACT if you will be taking in the fall
- Look over college applications so you know what you will be
facing in the fall
12th Grade
- Early fall
- Narrow down your college choices
- Decide if you will be applying to any colleges early action
or early decision (application deadline for these is usually
November 1)
- Start working on your college application essay
- Provide necessary paperwork to guidance counselor and teachers
who will be writing your recommendations at least one month
before deadline
- Retake SAT and/or SAT II if you need to raise your score.
Many students show measurable improvement from the spring of
11th grade to early fall of 12th grade just by virtue of maturation.
- Maintain or improve GPA
- Continue extracurricular and CAS activities
- January 1
- Regular decision college applications are due
- SATs can be taken as late as early February and still be eligible
for regular decision applications
- If your early action/decision college deferred you to regular
decision, supplement your application (extra recommendations,
additional activities, honors, etc.)
- January 2
- Time to relax and wait for those acceptances
- Continue to maintain your GPA—colleges will check your
second semester grades
- Spring
- If you are still undecided about which college to attend after
you have received your acceptances, visit those colleges
- May 1—colleges need to know your final decision
- IB and AP exams—don’t let up now. High scores
earn you college credit
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