Skip to content

Timeline for Sophomores

Sophomore Year

  • Review your Four-Year Plan making adjustments to coincide with your post high school plans.
  • Take the PLAN test, as a practice for the ACT.
  • Find a community service activity that fits for you.
  • Consider your interests, abilities, and values as you explore career and educational options.
  • Know what is on your transcript.
  • Explore summer opportunities to enrich your experiences

DON’T FORGET TO…

  1. Evaluate your 10th grade schedule. Are you taking advantage of any Honors or Advanced Placement classes. Remember colleges look at rigor of course schedules.
  2. Sign up for the PSAT, offered in October at your school. Go to the CollegeBoard website and take a practice test.
  3. Sign-up to take the PLAN test at your high school.
  4. Update your activities list and continue with those you like in a leadership role.
  5. Investigate the different types of colleges and the advantages of each:
    • Small liberal Arts Colleges
    • Public
    • Engineering
    • Research Universities
    • Women’s/men’s colleges
    • Religious colleges
  6. Start a list of how you learn best. In large lecture –style classes or in a small group
  7.  Ask yourself if you would want to be in a college near home or far away? Begin thinking of the academic fit of colleges. Do you want to spend most of your time studying at an academically difficult school or do you want to have more opportunity for social activities?
  8. Make an appointment with your high school counselor and get a list of college fairs in your area. If there are none, take a virtual tour of some colleges you might be interested in.
  9. Log on to college search websites and put in specific search criteria such as distance from home, majors, and sports opportunities.
  10. Review your PLAN and PSAT scores to see where you need improvement and schedule a session with a test prep agency.
  11. Continue to investigate scholarship opportunities and financial aid opportunities. Log on to the FAFSA Webcaster to estimate your family’s eligibility for financial aid.
  12. Plan to visit colleges every chance you get. Make a list of 4 colleges in your area and talk with your parents about visiting these colleges.
  13. Make a plan for taking the SAT/Act next year.
  14. Plan your summer activities carefully. Many college campuses offer summer programs for incoming Juniors.
  15. Start making your list of Dream colleges.
  16. Update your activities list.

Top 10 Ways to Achieve Student Success:

  1. 1Show up
  2. Pay attention
  3. Ask questions
  4. Plan ahead
  5. Study hard
  6. Make friends
  7. Seek help from advisors and instructors
  8. Join campus groups
  9. Manage time carefully
  10. Maintain healthy habits