As seen in NYMetroParents, below are some great suggestions for parents of 11th graders who are beginning, or in the middle of, college planning.
College Planning in 11th Grade
In her junior year, your teen will begin a more serious college application process, from taking the SAT or ACT to visiting colleges and narrowing down the list of where she will apply.
- Have your child take the PSAT/NMSQT in October. Even if she’ll ultimately take the ACT, this test will still provide good feedback on her strengths and weaknesses. Link the scores to Khan Academy for recommended lessons.
- Schedule college visits.
- Figure out when your child will take his first SAT or ACT and how he plans to prepare for it.
- Have her plan to spend approximately eight weeks reviewing for each AP exam if she takes AP courses. Typically, your child’s teacher is the best resource to start.
- Visit colleges. Focus on how your child’s potential career interest relates to the majors available at each school.
- Consider having your child take summer pre-college classes at a college.
- Encourage him to finish his college essay, and any supplemental essays, over the summer.