As 10th graders, the primary focus of college planning should be building upon the groundwork laid in the freshman year. This means not only maintaining strong grades but also seeking out ways to challenge yourself academically.
Advanced classes or electives in areas of interest can deepen your understanding and demonstrate your commitment to learning. Furthermore, you should continue to refine crucial skills, such as critical thinking, time management, and effective study habits. These will be key in the more challenging coursework and standardized tests you’ll encounter. Reviewing the milestones you identified in the 9th grade, now is the time to start hitting them, like taking on those identified AP classes or leadership roles.
Academic Skills and Testing
For 10th graders, a key focus in college planning is the use of the PSAT/NMSQT. This test allows students to gauge their academic performance against broader benchmarks, providing valuable insights into their readiness for future challenging courses. It acts as an indicator of progress in crucial academic areas, preparing students for increased academic rigor in subsequent years. Consequently, the PSAT/NMSQT plays a vital role in shaping a 10th grader’s preparation for college.
Why 10th Grade is Crucial for College Planning
Some students and parents think that college planning doesn’t truly start until junior or senior year. However, the reality is that the earlier you start, the better prepared you’ll be. Remember, financial plans, like 529 plans, continue to grow the longer they are in place. In general, we seek to have a resume that reflects choices about areas of talent where a student has cultivated skill. Such a resume should then align with whatever college major choices, whether specific or broad. Otherwise, the point of view of the applicant and their offering to a college may be lost on the admission officer.
Continuing the college planning process in the 10th grade maintains your momentum and makes the overall journey less stressful. It allows you to optimize financial plans, broaden your extracurriculars, and more effectively balance the increasing demands of harder classes, potential jobs, and eventual college applications. By maintaining this early start, you can more thoroughly prepare, reducing stress and enhancing your applications.
What Should 10th Graders Do To Prepare For College?
As sophomores, students should continue to develop their academic foundation and unique profile that colleges will find appealing. They should also begin to delve deeper into potential career paths or fields of study, which will provide direction for selecting college majors and help prepare for life after college.
These steps should include:
- Continue Exploring Interests: Having identified areas of interest in previous grades, now is the time to delve deeper. This might involve advanced classes in these areas, related extracurricular activities, or even job shadowing or internships.
- Plan Your Junior Year: Meet again with your guidance counselor to plan the next year’s classes. Look to take AP classes or dual-credit courses if available, and make sure you’re meeting the requirements for your potential college majors.
- Dive Deeper into Extracurriculars: Continue to develop your involvement in clubs, sports, or community organizations, taking on leadership roles where possible. Deep, meaningful involvement in a few areas is better than superficial participation in many.
- Save For College: Continue to contribute to your college savings account. Look for part-time work or consider seeking more intensive summer employment to further contribute to savings and gain valuable work experience. Discuss with your parents about maintaining or expanding a 529 plan.
- Prepare for PSATs and SATs: With a year of high school under your belt, it’s time to start serious preparation for these tests. Consider a prep course to ensure you’re ready to do your best.
10th Grade College Planning Checklist
Here’s a handy checklist to keep track of what you should be doing in your sophomore year to prepare for college:
- Schedule a meeting with your guidance counselor to reassess your college ambitions and track your progress.
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT as a benchmark for your academic performance and to highlight areas needing enhancement.
- Deepen your understanding of your academic and personal interests to shape potential college majors and career trajectories.
- Build up your college savings, with part-time work, summer jobs, or personal savings, and consider exploring investment opportunities.
- Start identifying potential scholarships and familiarize yourself with their requirements and deadlines.
- Begin researching colleges and universities that complement your academic objectives and personal inclinations.
- Seek out summer engagement opportunities, like internships, volunteering, or jobs in your interest field.
- Cultivate relationships with teachers who may provide valuable recommendation letters in the future.
- Reflect on personal experiences and achievements for potential college application essay topics.
- Consistently strive for strong academic performance as your grades this year carry significant weight for college applications.
- Explore leadership roles within your extracurricular activities to demonstrate initiative and responsibility.
- Investigate career paths that align with your interests, and learn about necessary qualifications or degrees.
- Revisit your four-year high school plan with your counselor, implementing insights gained from 9th grade and setting new targets.
While college may seem closer now than in 9th grade, don’t let up on your preparation. Continue to explore your interests, expand your extracurriculars, and save for college while remembering to balance your academic pursuits with activities you genuinely enjoy. Remember, planning for college is not just about preparing for university—it’s about preparing for the person you’re becoming.