Updated on December 13th, 2021
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!
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:
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:
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.
Related Video: Plan for College: 5 Things Every Parent Should Plan For
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