There’s a lot of noise this time of year about rising senior to-do’s. Rightfully so! Deadlines are around the corner. But if you’re not a senior, you have some time to dig into what matters: you.
If you play the long game with your college process, starting early and keeping an eye on your goals each year, you might escape the tidal wave of stress that often hits students (and their parents, of course) spring of junior year.
Our new Director of Admission Services, Andy Losier, comes to Colledge with years of experience on the college side, at institutions like Marymount College and the University of Denver, but most recently served as 10th Grade Dean at Francis Parker School in San Diego. With Back to School vibes in the air, Andy put together the below list of to-do’s for students entering 9th-11th grades.
Entering 9th
- Welcome to High School! For many of you, this means a new campus, teachers, homework load and independence. Whether you find this all beyond exciting, terribly nerve-wracking or somewhere in between, know that you are not alone.
- Keep an open mind when it comes to classes, teachers and homework. Attitude makes all the difference and you have more control here than you may realize!
- High school is the time to try something new, or to dig into an interest or hobby that you’ve already found in middle school. Exploration is key here, so while you do not have to have everything figured out, don’t miss those club fairs, athletic nights, service learning opportunities and finding your tribe.
- Meet with your guidance counselor in 9th grade to discuss your academic plan for the rest of high school. You don’t have to hone in on your interests yet, but be sure that you’re planning for the classes you need to meet your current goals.
Entering 10th
- Oh hey, Sophomore! If you’re feeling a sense of relief, you should be. You have a lot ahead of you, but you’ve made it through year one of high school and that is no small feat!
- 10th Grade year is about discovery, not unlike 9th grade, but now it’s time to start thinking more critically about your choices – both inside and outside the classroom – so that when you develop interests, you can continue to grow them. Who knows… you may already have a college major in the making! Continue to explore your interests with genuine curiosity and stay open to change on every level.
- If you don’t have an academic interest nailed down, worry not. You still have plenty of time to figure it out! And to support you with this, it is even more important for you to develop relationships with teachers, Deans, guidance counselors and other trusted adults who can help you think critically about your future.
- Discussions of college will likely begin to swirl in your community, which may bring joy, stress, or a combination of both. Lean into what you are hearing and ask a lot of questions, especially of the college reps if they visit your school in the fall.
- Depending on the curriculum offered at your school, you may have the opportunity to take honors, AP or IB courses. If you are in a position to do so, challenge yourself by pursuing some of these options but also heed the advice of your teachers and counselors. Burnout is a real thing in high school – prioritize getting good grades and feeling balanced over loading up on too much rigor too quickly.
Entering 11th
- You’ve made it to junior year! Congratulations!! Since the beginning of time, Grade 11 has had the reputation of being the hard/intense/overwhelming/challenging year. There is more you can do to control the intensity than you think.
- To start, feel good about your course schedule. If you know within the first two weeks that your load is too heavy, or perhaps too light, go to your counselor or Dean to make a change that will be more sustainable and enriching for you. Again, prioritize strong grades and add rigor where it makes sense given your interests – no need to take AP Calc if you’ll spend all of your free time studying, still struggle to get a passing grade, and plan to study history in college!
- For some of you, this may be the year in which you have to change up your extracurricular commitments. Whether that means dropping out of an activity or adding one or two, the goal is to find healthy balance that promotes success and personal growth. Spending your extracurricular time intentionally is not just about the story you will be telling in your college applications (though that’s part of it). It’s also about investing more time in the things you love, not spreading yourself thin trying to do everything.
- Diving into the college admission process is the main thing that makes junior year feel different from the others before it. Unlike studying for a unit test or annotating a book summary, applying for college is a long game, has more unknowns, requires more vulnerability and demands that you express yourself in a way not usually taught in high school. The good news?There are MANY people who are willing to help. The key is finding them and breaking down your college admission journey into bite size pieces.
- As you think about school holidays and breaks for this year, considering adding college campuses to the itinerary. Each campus visit is worthwhile, even if… (especially if) you don’t like it. Why? Because this will start to give you and those supporting you a sense of what you want or don’t want for your college experience.
- Plan to take the PSAT in October, and find a Practice ACT so that you can compare the results. Once you have both scores, you can better plan for which test to move forward with and the type of prep work you want to pursue. The future of standardized testing is uncertain, to say the least, and the majority of colleges these days are test-optional, but that may change by the time you apply. We believe it’s still better to prepare by giving yourself the option, even if you don’t end up submitting your scores.
We hope after reading this, you feel a sense of empowerment on what you and your child can do to start off the school year on a high note and set yourselves up for success down the road.
And if these suggestions bring up even more questions, click here to schedule a Student Success Call with Andy – he’d love to help. Additionally, we highly recommend you watch out for emails from your grade level advisors, Deans, counselors or other adults who can tell you more about how the college planning process works specifically at your school.
We wish you a fantastic 2023-24 school year!
