Continue participating in non-­academic extracurricular activities. See if you can deepen your involvement or take on a leadership role in the activities you’ve already been doing. Or step outside your comfort zone and try something new.

Stay focused on keeping your grades up—this year’s grades are important to college admissions officers. Though keep in mind, freshman year grades do matter.

If your school offers higher-level classes (honors or AP classes), challenge yourself academically by taking one a higher-level (honors or AP) class or two (honors or AP classes), in areas that you’re interested in.

PSAT: Some high schools allow you to take the October PSAT as a sophomore.

PSAT: Some high schools allow you to take the October PSAT as a sophomore.

Attend a local college fair.

Meet with your school counselor at least once a year to discuss course selection. Continue building this relationship by asking lots of questions about new courses and suggestions for ways to develop your interests..

Parents: Continue researching how to pay for college (see links above) and set up a college budget.

Visit a college or two locally or while you're on vacation.

Read more about possible college majors and careers to better plan out your high school classes.

If you think you may play Division I or II sports in college:

• Register for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Clearinghouse.

• Register for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) Eligibility Center.

• Familiarize yourself with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requirements. Then double-check that all of your courses are NCAA-approved. Not all high school classes count towards their requirements.

• Let your high school counselor know you’re considering college athletics. 

Testing 

• If you're taking an AP class this year, consider sitting for the AP exam (May). If you're concerned about your readiness, check in with your teacher for advice. 

• At the end of the school year, take a practice ACT and SAT to determine which test may be better for you, then set up a testing timeline.

Summer reading: Continue expanding your vocabulary and your world.

Continue exploring your interests during the summer. This could be through a job, internship, volunteer experience, or self-designed project. Building something, working with a charity, or any of these activities can be great experiences for college applications.

• Check out our volunteer opportunities