Arbor View High School Counseling

Some tasks to be accomplished during your sophomore year.

Fall 

• Continue to take college prep and honors classes.

• Expand your interests by joining new clubs and activities.

• Take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) for practice. When you fill out your test sheet, make sure you check the box that releases your name to colleges so you can start receiving information from them.  It is valuable practice for when you take the PSAT again in 11th grade (when the scores will count for National Merit consideration), as well as for the SAT which you should take by the end of 11th grade

• Ask your guidance counselor about the American College Testing program’s PLAN (Pre-ACT) assessment program, which helps determine your study habits and academic progress and interests.  It is valuable practice for the ACT, which you should take by the end of the 11th grade. 

• Stay on top of your homework and see your teachers for extra help. They are happy to schedule time to meet with you.

• Become familiar with general college entrance requirements.

• Review Your Online Persona-Examine your information on Facebook and/or other social networks. Consider updating or deleting content that might not be viewed favorably by college admissions officers.

 

Winter

• Discuss your PSAT score with your counselor and devise an action plan for areas that need improving.

• Get involved in activities outside the classroom through community service and other volunteer activities.

• Seek out leadership positions in the activities that you enjoy the most.

• Work on your writing skills—it will come in handy for your application essays and anything you choose to study.  

• Discuss college cost factors with your parents/guardians and investigate options, such as scholarships.   

• Tour a nearby college, if possible. Visit relatives or friends who live on or near a college campus. Check out the dorms, go to the library and student center, and then begin to think about what type of college you want to attend.

• Investigate summer enrichment programs.

 

Spring

• Keep your grades up so you can have the highest GPA and class rank possible.

• Ask your counselor about Advanced Placement (AP) courses to take over the summer or next year.

• Continue to explore interests and careers that you might like and talk to your counselor about them.

• Go onto college websites and find out their academic requirements for admission.

• Read all of the mail you receive from colleges and make notes of what you like and dislike.

• Attend college fairs.  Pick up literature on colleges that catch your eye and talk to admission counselors from colleges you’ve started investigating.

• Begin looking for a summer job and research potential employers.

 

Summer

• Visit a few more local college campuses to begin zeroing in on the type of college you would prefer (two-year or four-year, small or large, rural or urban).

• Talk to friends and relatives about their college experience and use that to help define what you are looking for.

• Read as many books as possible from a comprehensive reading list as it will help prepare you for the amount of reading expected of you in college.

• Set up a filing system for interested, maybes and no’s.  Learn more about those in the first two categories.