Sophomore College Planning Timeline
Fall
- Meet with your school counselor to talk about college and career options and to make sure you’re taking the most-appropriate classes. Learn more about the high school counselor’s role.
- Set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps you stay motivated and focused.
- Keep up with your schoolwork. If you keep up with your tests, papers and homework assignments, you can celebrate successes and head off problems before they arise. Get homework tips.
- Get ready to take preliminary exams. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT or the PLAN this fall can help you prepare for college admission tests. Sophomores can also use their score reports to figure out which academic areas they need to work on. Learn more about the PSAT/NMSQT.
- Review your PSAT/NMSQT or PLAN results. Your score report indicates your academic strengths and weaknesses. Log in to My College QuickStart to get personalized feedback based on your PSAT/NMSQT score report.
- Start thinking about ways to pay for college. Most students get help paying for college costs. Read 7 Things You Need to Know About Financial Aid to learn more.
- Discuss next year’s classes. Make sure you are challenging yourself — and taking the courses college admission officers expect to see. Learn more about the high school classes that colleges look for.
- Make a college wish list. Think about qualities you may want in a college in terms of location, size, majors offered and so on. Check out How to Find a College That Fits You to learn more about deciding on college must-haves.
- See how much you need to save for college. Use the College Savings Calculator to get an idea of where you are in terms of your savings goal.
- Make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Find out ways to stay motivated this summer
- PSAT Information Frequently asked questions about the PSAT, NMSQT
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