High School Sophomore Checklist
Starting your sophomore year is the perfect time to start thinking about post-high school plans a little more seriously. Begin thinking about what you want your life to look like after high school. Does it include college? Maybe a trade or vocational school instead? Whatever it is, this is the year to start honing in on your goals and plans!
Make Connections with a Counselor and Consultant
If you haven’t already built a connection with an independent counselor or your high school counselor, reach out either before or at the beginning of your sophomore year. The more they know about you and understand you, the better resource they’ll be as you get further into the college admissions process.
Work With Parents on Financial Aid
Financial aid for college can be a little convoluted, so begin familiarizing yourself with the process now. Take a look at the available financial assistance options and average college costs - and if you already have ideas of where you want to go to school, look at those specific costs of tuition, fees, and room and board. It might inspire you to begin saving, or at least have an open conversation with your parents (if they haven’t started it already) about what they might be able to contribute.
Search Careers
Do you know what you want to do when you “grow up”? Think about what interests you, what you’re good at, and what you enjoy doing. Any specific topics stick out? Maybe look for some personality and career assessments online (and if you’re working with a consultant, they might have one for you!). It’s totally okay to change your major once you get to college, but learning a little more about yourself now and what you might want to do with the rest of your life definitely doesn’t hurt!
Test Prep
The “real” test will take place during your junior year, but it’s recommended to take the PSAT in October of your sophomore (and junior) years. It’s also a good opportunity to determine if the SAT or the ACT is the right fit for you (and a consultant can help you do just that!). Students often have skills that align a little better with one test or the other, and different strategies are helpful depending on which test you decide to take. Sophomore year is the time for the early test prep, and then you’ll dive in a little deeper at the beginning of your junior year!
Be Active
I don’t mean run around the block each morning (although that might help with stress levels…), but make sure to stay active in your community and extracurriculars. This is something I recommend getting started during your freshman year if you aren’t already connected somewhere, but consistency is key. Hopefully you spent your freshman year figuring out if you enjoy volunteering at the local riparian preserve more than at the animal shelter, but now you gotta stick with it!