Successful High School Students’ College Timeline

Students (and their parents) often wonder what they should be doing during each year of high school to avoid the stress of an anxiety-filled senior year. The truth is that much can be done, starting in the early part of freshman year, to set students on the path of success. Colleges admire students who show longevity in their activities, so the sooner students identify their clubs, sports, volunteer work, or other activities of passion, the longer they have to build a track record of accomplishments.  
 
Freshman year is the perfect time to take on a new musical instrument or sport that might make a student particularly attractive to colleges. Or, students can get involved in an academic-oriented activity, such as Robotics, Model UN, or Science Olympiad. Or, they might join student government, the yearbook committee, the debate team, or the marching band.  
 
By sophomore year, students should map out a tentative four-year academic schedule.  If they hope to get through Calculus in high school, are they on track to do so? If not, they may want to double up on their math courses or take a course during summer study. Sophomores should also prepare for the October PSAT^® and actively pursue the activities they joined the previous year, gaining increased expertise.

High school Juniors start feeling the crunch of preparing for their transition to college.  If they haven’t already done so, Juniors should start preparing for, and taking, the SAT^® exam as they can take it as many times as they like and submit just their highest scores to colleges. Juniors should also pay close attention to their grades, as it is often the last report card that colleges see prior to admitting (or rejecting) applicants. They may also want to prepare a resume, as it will help them recall their high school activities when it’s time to list them on college applications. Many colleges even have space on their application for a resume to be uploaded.    
 
During the first two months of Senior year students should carefully prepare, and submit, their college applications. This will allow them to meet Early Action and/or Early Decision deadlines, which are typically November 1^st, frequently increasing their chances of acceptance.  Students should keep up their grades during their senior year as a serious decline in grades may result in a withdrawal of college acceptances. 
 
By keeping track of all their academic responsibilities, students can truly enjoy their senior year – often the last one they will live at home with their families.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362