Author: Miriam Schaffer
It is not too early to meet with a college advisor when your teen is in his or her freshman year of high school.
Even though college may be three or four years away, many colleges look at all four years of your high school record. Creating a strategic plan for high school classes, extracurricular activities, and summer jobs and/or enrichment can reduce stress and uncertainty when it’s time to begin applying to college in senior year.
I cannot tell you how many students and families I talk with at the end of their junior or beginning of senior year in high school who realize advance planning might have helped their college applications.
Here are areas that can be planned out in freshman year:
Course Schedule
Plan out your four years of high school classes. It can be changed and revised as you move forward, but it is good to have a “roadmap” of what you will be studying in high school
The more challenging your course load, the more it will benefit you. If you are capable of being successful in AP and Honors classes, then you want to prepare to take those classes.
If you do take an AP class, be sure to check out the schedule for AP tests, so that you can take the test while the subject area is still fresh in your mind.
Extracurricular Activities
Whether you like sports, drama, community service, leadership, or journalism, being active in high school helps your overall profile. In addition, college applications often have a section in which you list activities you were involved in.
Do not join activities, just for something to write on the college application. Join activities that you are interested in. It’s okay to be in the same activity all four years. When it comes to filling out the college application, you will want to show how you contributed to the activity and perhaps even assumed a leadership role in it.
Volunteering
Sign up to volunteer with organizations that truly interest you. Places where volunteers are often needed include:
- Animal shelters and veterinary facilities
- Food Banks
- Hospitals
- Libraries
- Museums
- Nursing homes and retirement communities
- Public gardens
Learn to successfully manage your time. Perhaps you may be able to volunteer only once a month. It’s most important to keep your GPA as high as possible.
Summer
Having a summer job will add to your college application, may help you to save some money for college, and lets you learn about what interests you, and the requirements for different jobs. You can also begin to gain a realization about jobs that are a good for you and those that you don’t find interesting.
You might also want to expand on your volunteer activities, take some classes, or travel. Whatever you choose, try to stay active so that you have some information to include on your college application where it asks you to list what you did every summer during your high school years.
More Information
Ifyou are in your freshman year of high school, and need help with planning for college, send an email to , or fill out the form in the Contact Us section.
- Written By: Miriam Schaffer
- September 13, 2013
