Advice for High School Sophomores
In sophomore year you will begin to seriously consider college possibilities and start to identify academic areas that are of significant interest to you. You will also begin to take more challenging courses and will increase your involvement in extracurricular activities.
- Review your academic schedule with your counselor to make sure that you are taking the most appropriately challenging courses.
- As the rigor of your courses increases continue to strive to earn the best grades possible.
- Increase your involvement in extracurricular activities. Colleges are looking for students who have a variety of interests; though it is better to have depth in a few activities than to have less depth in many activities.
- Consider a leadership role in one of your extracurricular activities.
- If available at your school, prepare for and take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT).
- Talk to your counselor about creating a resume, which can outline your experiences during high school.
- During the summer, participate in activities—a job, a volunteer opportunity, or an academic enrichment workshop—that broaden your horizons.
- Visit nearby colleges in order to begin to understand college life and to develop your own sense of what type of school works for you. Try to visit a variety of colleges including large public universities, private research institutions, and small liberal arts colleges to give you an idea of what is available.
