Welcome to sophomore year, the middle year between figuring out high school and getting connected ready for senior year. It’s a year of PSAT, SAT, ACT and a narrowing of your college list, which will come next year.
Enjoy this year and use the time to continue to beef up your application with wise course selections, activities, honors, and continued growth in your learning.
GRADES, GRADES AND GRADES
Just as important as your freshman grades, your sophomore year will make up the second third of the GPA that will be sent to colleges.
LEARN ABOUT THE ADMISSION PROCESS
Visit our College & Career Center or search online to learn what your favorite schools require for admission. Knowing what you need now will leave you time to get involved in clubs or take additional course work to strengthen your application. Knowing what your top-choice schools require means you can prepare. You don’t want to find out halfway through your junior year that your first-choice school requires three years of a foreign language!
STAY ON TRACK WITH YOUR COURSES
Work with your counselor to schedule courses that will keep you on track for graduation, provide an appropriate challenge for you, and allow you to explore your interests.
TAKE THE PSAT
You will take the PSAT during Super Wednesday in October. Then in January, your counselor will visit your classroom to help you understand your results and to review graduation and college-admission requirements.
NAVIANCE
Make sure you have completed the junior-year requirement in your High School & Beyond Plan:
- Do What You Are personality inventory
- Update your goals and four-year plan
- Begin building your resume.
Visit the Counseling Center to ask for any help you need with Naviance.
EXTRACURRICULARS
Stay involved with activities that help you explore where you want your future to take you. Take advantage of opportunities for leadership roles.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Keep a list of honors and awards you have received since your freshman year; this way when you get ready to apply for college you won’t forget any and you’ll have everything in one spot.
ATTEND THE DISTRICT COLLEGE CONFERENCE
Held in February, this free event offers a great opportunity to gather information about colleges, the application process, and financial aid—all in one place. The College Conference is open to all students and their families, but we highly recommended it for sophomores and juniors.
USE YOUR SUMMER
Log on to Naviance and use the search functions to begin researching schools you might be interested in. Visit any that you can. If you can’t visit your first choices, try to visit a similarly sized college locally.