New Year’s Resolutions for College Bound Students

Students who are still choosing their New Year’s resolutions might want to consider some that could set them up for success when the time to file college applications rolls around.  As students prepare to embark on the first few days of the 2022 academic year they may want to resolve to:

Manage Time Effectively.  This is an important habit to develop before embarking on your college journey where good time management skills will have a major impact on your academic success.  Practice setting a schedule, indicating when you will start, and finish, working on each long-term assignment and studying for each exam. Be sure that procrastination is not one of your traits.  

Put Free Time to Good Use.  College admissions officers at every school look carefully at applications to assess which students have demonstrated a solid commitment to volunteer activities.  Colleges know that if you have developed the habit of helping others while in high school, you’ll most likely be a contributing member of your college community. An impressive list of extracurricular activities, both in and out of school, can boost applications. If you’re at a loss for ideas, check out Zooniverse.org which offers virtual opportunities for students to contribute to professional research in a gamut of fields.

Think About the “Big Picture.”  In other words, seriously consider your potential career and what major would be most beneficial to pursue in college.  People often say, “You can’t expect a teenager to know what he/she wants to do in life.”  Unfortunately, with typical college costs (including tuition, fees, room and board) ranging between $30,000 and $80,000 a year, students may find themselves drowning in debt if they change majors, or don’t choose one in a timely manner, and need to spend more than four years to earn a degree.

Get the Highest G.P.A. and SAT Scores Possible.  While colleges certainly consider your activities, essay, and letters of recommendation, the key criteria for almost all colleges are G.P.A. and SAT scores (which are invaluable for scholarships and for avoiding “placement tests” even at test optional schools). To colleges, these are the best indicators of academic potential to be a successful college student. Pragmatically, a high G.P.A. and impressive SAT scores are definitely worth striving for, as they will often be rewarded with generous scholarship awards that are renewable for your sophomore, junior and senior years of college.

Make this year’s resolutions some that are worth sticking with! 

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