Labor Day is rapidly approaching, and in many ways it’s similar to New Years Day. It’s the start of a new year -- not the calendar year, but the academic year. For students, it’s the perfect time to make mental (or electronic) checklists to be sure they’re on track to meet their future goals.
Students should carefully consider their class schedule for the new school year, to be sure that the courses they’ll be taking will allow them to complete all of the courses they want to have under their belt by graduation day. For example, students with dreams of attending a top college to major in engineering should be sure to get through calculus while in high school. If they’re not on track to do so, perhaps they should double up on math this year.
Students who recognize that demonstrated leadership is an important quality to college admission officers may want to join a club or organization, of which they are particularly passionate, early in their high school years. Through dedicated involvement as freshmen and sophomores, the opportunity for leadership roles will be great in junior and senior years.
Students aiming to earn a college athletic or music scholarship in the future should choose their area of specialty quite carefully. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the odds of getting an athletic scholarship for men is greatest in gymnastics, fencing and ice hockey. For woman, the odds are reportedly greatest in rowing, equestrian and rugby. As for budding musicians, recommended instruments that have the best odds of leading to college scholarships include the harp, tuba, oboe, bassoon and cello.
Students should also schedule, well in advance, the dates that they plan to take their SAT exam. Upcoming exams will be offered on August 28th, October 2nd, November 6th and December 4th. Students can take the SAT as many times as they want during their high school years, and colleges never know. So in essence, students have unlimited do-overs. When the time arrives to submit college applications, students can choose which of their test scores to send – obviously the highest – and those are the only scores that colleges will see. So students should prepare, and plan to start testing, early in their high school years in order to give themselves several opportunities to reach their potential.
Just like New Years Day, the start of the academic year gives students limitless opportunities to make checklists and resolutions that will serve them well when the time to file college applications rolls around.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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