Sophomore

Develop/Re-assess a three-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/monitor 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/Update 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.
Register/Update and expand effective College Board and ACT accounts.
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/Continue 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/updating an accurate and effective Fastweb account.