The Scholarship System

Paying for college begins here

  • Home
  • Learn With Us
    • All Resources
    • Free Scholarship Training
    • Scholarship Course
    • Debt-Free Degree Lab
    • The Scholarship System Book
  • Free Facebook Group
  • Success Stories
  • Blog
    • Scholarships & Financial Aid
    • Paying for College
    • Student Loans
    • Saving Money in College
    • Admissions
    • Tips for Parents
    • Student Success
  • About
    • Meet the Founder
    • #RebelFamily Mindset
    • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Stay Informed
Home » A Complete College Prep Checklist: High School Freshman and Sophomore Year

A Complete College Prep Checklist: High School Freshman and Sophomore Year

Admissions Paying for College Student Success Tips for Parents

Updated on October 12th, 2018

The road to college starts now! There are many things your student can do during their high school freshman and sophomore years to make sure they are ready for college and beyond.

Since colleges look at your student’s accomplishments from ALL four years of high school, you don’t want your child to wait until their junior or senior year to start thinking about their GPA and college admissions.

Let us help you make that ride as smooth as possible! Here’s our complete checklist for high school freshman and sophomore years that can help your student get started.

Is your student in high school but not a freshman or sophomore? Click your student’s year for a checklist for them too!

  • Senior in High School Checklist
  • Junior in High School Checklist

Download the checklist now college preparedness

High school freshman year:

Fall:

  • Meet your guidance counselor
  • Get involved in extracurricular activities
  • Enroll in the appropriate college-prep or tech-prep classes and that you’re taking
  • Study hard and get good grades
  • Read

Winter:

  • Start off on the right foot with your grades
  • Explore your interests and possible careers
  • Discuss your skills and interests with your guidance counselor
  • Consider a college savings plan and add to an existing one if you have already have one started
  • Start thinking about the classes you want to take next year

Spring:

  • Getting involved: Continue to build your credentials- Keep track of your extracurricular awards, community service achievements, and anything else you participate in
  • Begin learning about college
  • Keep your grades up
  • Schedule a meeting with your counselor to discuss your plans for the summer and the upcoming school year
  • Search for summer internship opportunities

Summer:

  • Volunteer
  • Get a job and begin saving for college
  • Sign up for an enrichment program
  • Schedule a college visit
  • Create your resume and fill it with activities and accomplishments from freshmen year

High school sophomore year:

Checklist for freshman and sophomore years of high school #students #college Fall:

  • Take a practice PSAT
  • Begin getting ready for the ACT
  • Stay on track with your courses: Talk with your guidance counselor to make sure you’re enrolled in the classes you need to prepare you for college or a career
  • Get familiar with general college admission requirements
  • Start attending college fairs in your area
  • Explore your career options in more detail: “Job shadow” someone who does what you think you’d like to do
  • Look for a job and start a college savings account and regularly deposit into it
  • Get involved in extracurricular activities  
  • Volunteer in your community

Winter:

  • Stay involved with your extracurricular activities: Work toward leadership positions in the activities you like best.
  • Read and practice your writing
  • Meet with your guidance counselor to make sure you are on track

Spring:

  • Study hard and keep your grades up: remain focused
  • Start your college search
  • Reach out to colleges that interest you: Ask for information about their academic requirements and any programs that potentially might interest you

Summer:

  • If you haven’t already, start preparing for the SAT or ACT
  • Get a job and begin saving for college
  • Volunteer
  • Participate in activities that align with your interests
  • Go on one or two summer campus tours at local colleges

It’s easy for students to forget the importance of preparing for college during their high school freshman and sophomore years but it is equally as important to work hard and prepare as it is for juniors and seniors. 

Download a copy of the checklist by clicking the button below:

Download the checklist now

If you and your child would like to learn more about how to get started with scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! It’s a great way to learn about the process and how to identify opportunities that can help your student avoid debt while pursuing their education!

And if you want our latest list of scholarships with deadlines coming up, go to www.thescholarshipsystem.com/scholarshiplist.

Learn how I won $126k in external scholarships by registering for my webinar.
  • Facebook 316
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr


Leave a Comment

« How to Begin Searching for Colleges
8 Best Websites for Authentic College Reviews »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About The Scholarship System

The Scholarship System is all about strategies to help students and their families pay for college. We’ve created a step-by-step process to teach ANY STUDENT how to secure college funding, saving families more than $5.5 Million so far.

Rather than being buried in debt, your child can get their college PAID FOR! Ready to take the next step? Click the button below to join our next FREE webinar and learn more.

Register for FREE Webinar

Join us on Facebook

Subscribe to our newsletter

Join our FREE community and receive helpful tips and tricks in your email once per week.
Subscribe via email
Popular Posts

How to Write Winning Scholarship Essays

How to Write an Amazing Scholarship Resume

75 Easy Ways to Save Money in College

  • Home
  • Affiliate Disclaimer
  • Disclaimer & Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 · The Scholarship System LLC · Built by RockFort Media · Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

  • 316
  • 316