Freshman year means the start of high school, and with that comes a lot of changes. There are a lot of things to adjust to, and it might seem like college is a long way off, but your freshman year is the perfect time to start doing some small but important things that will help you later on with the college admissions process.

Not sure how you could possibly use your freshman year to get ready for college? Don’t worry; we’ve got the answers for you!

Fall

Get involved!  Try out new extracurricular activities, and continue to pursue those that already interest you. 

Build relationships with your teachers and school guidance counselor.

Make sure you’re taking a course load that’s rigorous but not out of your reach. Colleges will look at your entire transcript from high school, so now is the time to start impressing. [Read this: Which is better–hard courses or a great GPA].

The transition to high school can be tough; don’t fall behind, and make sure to seek academic help from your teachers, if you need it.  If you need help figuring out how to study efficiently, check out this website called Study Hacks for tips and ideas from Cal Newport.

Winter

Talk to your family about your college budget. It’s good to have an idea now of how much you’ll be able to pay and how much you’ll want to look for scholarships and other sources of funding.

Start thinking about your summer plans.  A job?  What sort of job?  A summer academic enrichment program?  A camp or travel experience?  Waiting until the last minute is always a bad idea.  Prepare!  Ask questions!  Talk to potential employers.  Also talk to your parents about their expectations and budgetary realities.  If you want to read more about how best to prepare for summer, read this article.

Think about ways to amplify your extracurricular activities.  A sports or music camp?  A summer community theater production?  Build your art portfolio?  Volunteering? Make plans for the summer that will be both fun and productive.

Spring

Plan courses for sophomore year, with an eye to what you will take for the rest of your high school career.  Plan ahead, but know that you can always made modifications to your plans as you learn more about what you are best at and what you enjoy most.  Looking for more information about academic planning in high school? Read this article.

Continue to make summer plans so that you can hit the ground running as soon as school is out.

Summer

Implement the plan you started upon in the winter.

Read!  Nothing can help prepare you for the English language portions of the standardized testing than reading.  Novels.  Non-fiction.  Magazines and newspapers.  Even comic books.  Read at every opportunity.

College Timeline For 9th Graders– A Summary

High school should be a fun and exciting time for you! As you embark on your high school career, start to focus on these important things early so you have an easier time later on.

Your classes. Make sure you’re challenging yourself, but don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. You want to do as well as you can in the most challenging courses for you.

Your extracurriculars. Whether you’re involved in sports, clubs, a job, or family obligations, make sure you’re keeping track of what you’re doing. Colleges want you to be interested in things other than academics, so make sure you plan your involvements.

Your relationships. Building relationships with teachers and guidance counselors matters, and the earlier you can get to know these people, the more they’ll be able to help you along the way.

A college timeline for freshmen is important so that you can stay on track. But be sure not to sweat the small stuff. Focus on getting good grades, enjoying your extracurricular involvements, and nurturing your relationships.

Mark Montgomery
CEO and Founder, Great College Advice

As you enter the 10th grade, you want to stay on top of things. This college admissions timeline for sophomores will help you identify your priorities and ensure that you are well prepared for the college admissions process. You’ll be filling out those college applications before you know it, so start early!

Here is what you can work on during 10th grade, season by season.

Fall

Stay involved!  Continue to pursue those extracurricular interests that engage you and that give you a sense of accomplishment. It’s not what you do: it’s how well you do it.  Commitment and achievement are more important than the volume of activities.  Start bringing more focus to the activities about which you care most.

Make a college calendar. There won’t be a lot on it right now, but as you get closer to your college applications, you’ll get busier. If you plan everything out now, you’ll have less trouble keeping track of things later on. You might start by putting these items from our college admissions timeline for sophomores!

If you can, take the PSAT and/or PLAN tests a year early as a way to discover which format suits you best, and to get some practice in taking these exams. Research indicates that scores improve with familiarity with the tests—so go ahead and take them!

Start thinking about college criteria. While you shouldn’t start making a college list at this point, now is a good time to think about what you want from a school in general. Big or small? Urban or rural? Generous with scholarships? Lots of Greek life or none at all? There are a lot of things that you need to consider, so start thinking about them now.

Winter Timeline for 10th Grade

Make a schedule for your standardized testing.  Using your scores on the early tests as a guide, lay out a plan for your junior year, and begin researching test preparation tutors or classes. Your testing timeline is one of the most important aspects of your college admissions timeline for 10th grade.

Get to know your school guidance counselor. They’ll be an integral part of the process later on, so making an effort to know them now will make it easier for them to write that recommendation letter for your application later on.

If you plan on at least applying to a selective college, plan to take one or two SAT 2 Subject Tests in May or June of your sophomore year.  For example, if you are taking 10^th grade chemistry, take the chemistry SAT 2 Subject Test while the subject is fresh in your mind.

Once again, it’s time to plan for summer.  A job?  A summer program?  Academic enrichment?  If your family is planning a vacation, make sure to include visits to some campuses that interest you.

Practice your essay writing. Though the prompts themselves may change from year to year, the basic format of the Common App essay will remain the same. Pick one of the topics that interests you and give it a try; practicing now will make writing your actual essay much easier in a couple of years.

Think about leadership positions (club officer, team captain, volunteer organizer) that you can pursue in your extracurricular activities. 

Spring Timeline for 10th Grade

Make your first visits to college campuses.  Visit the schools in your local area, even if you aren’t sure any of those colleges will ones you eventually apply to.  Take tours.  Listen to info sessions.  Wander around.  Most colleges offer Saturday tours, so you’ll have an opportunity to learn how to learn about campuses—well before the pressure is one next year.

Revisit your high school curriculum plan and make any necessary adjustments before you register for junior year classes.  Take as many challenging courses as you can, including AP and honors courses.  Also investigate dual enrollment options, whereby you take community college classes earn both college and high school credits.

Foster good relationships with teachers. If you have a teacher you especially liked and who knows you well, and in whose course you achieved much, let that teacher know it.  Good relationships with teachers who know, like, and respect your work are important as you begin to collect college recommendations further down the road.

Plan to visit a college fair in your area. College fairs can give you a lot of information about a lot of colleges all at once, and they’re a chance for you to make a good early impression on the admissions counselor for your area. Look up online for when these fairs are scheduled, and note them down in your college admissions timeline for sophomores.

Summer

Begin a resume or “brag sheet.”  You’ll find lots of templates online, or ask your counselor for tips on structuring the resume.  You’ll begin to see some patterns emerging, and you’ll also see what areas are thinner.  Again, remember that the goal is excellence and achievement, not simply checking off boxes on a form.  Do what you love, and do it well.  A resume will help you to see your achievements, and to point out areas in which you could use more focus.

Keep reading.  It’s fun, and it helps you down the road with those standardized tests.

Speaking of standardized testing, summer can be a great time to do some test prep. Whether you work with a company or a tutor, do an online prep course, or study on your own, the summer gives you a lot of free time that you can use to prepare.

If your family takes a vacation, put a couple of college visits on the itinerary.  Make sure to plan for the visits in advance, and if possible, try to meet with an admissions officer, and maybe a professor or two.

It’s never too early to be thinking about scholarships.  Do your research.  Talk to your counselor.  Check out websites.  The best is Fastweb.com, but also have a look at supercollege.com, wiredscholar.com, and scholarshipexperts.com. 

College Admissions Timeline For 10th Grade – A Summary

As you make your 10th grade plan, just keep in mind the major categories of things that matter in the admissions process.

Your grades. Do as well as you can in school. Take the hardest, most challenging classes you can manage. Your transcript is the #1 most important item on your college application.

Your test scores. They are important. You need to prepare, and you need to get highest score you can. This will help you both with admission and with financial aid (both need-based and merit-based). But if your score is not as high as you’d like, you can always look at the 1000+ colleges and universities that are test-optional.

Your extracurricular achievements. Get involved. Stay involved. Step into leadership roles. Measure your success by what you accomplish. Participation is great, but achievement is better.

Your personal characteristics. Be nice. Be engaged. Make good choices. Make your bed.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant