Freshman
This is a very exciting time for students and parents as the first year of high school begins. It’s never too early to put a plan in place. CollegeBound recommends a robust course of action that is outlined in the space below.
- Develop a four-year academic plan. Course planning: AP vs. IB vs. Honors vs. Online Courses vs. Community College Courses
- Discuss, plan, and implement a variety of extracurricular activities that demonstrate talent, skills, and passion (community service, clubs/organizations, internships).
- Review grades and progress reports (i.e. report cards, School Loop, transcript, etc.).
- Discuss California Scholarship Federation membership.
- Learn how to nurture relationships with high school counselor(s), teachers, and mentors.
- Consider testing options. Register for the PSAT and/or PLAN tests (if applicable). Take an Assessment Exam.
- Create an Activity Journal.
- Make a list of academic and personal goals. Review at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. The best college “fit” happens when a student knows herself, her wants, and her needs for the future.
- Learn how to organize and track every certificate, award, newspaper articles, clippings, etc. in the manner colleges require.
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- Register for effective College Board and ACT accounts. Learn how to explore and take full advantage of each site’s tools and resources.
- Discuss and plan summer enrichment and community service projects.
- Review and implement effective study skills. These grades count! Pursue extra-credit work, research, or independent study.
- Begin working on vocabulary and begin critically reading adult level reading material. Learning to become a good critical reader takes a long period of time but will also lead to improved writing skills.
- Plan campus visits and meetings to local colleges.
- Arrange attendance to college fairs and college nights.
- Begin entering scholarship and essay contests to gain regional and/or national recognition.
- Begin talking with family about college financial planning.
- Work with CollegeBound on registering/activating an accurate and effective Fastweb account.
