Fall Timeline for High School Students and Parents : Grades 9-12

Fall Timeline for High School Students and Parents : Grades 9-12 

12th

Please review this with your child and adjust it appropriately for their learning style.

• The Common Application “rolls over” and can be submitted as early as August 1.

• Start the Coalition Application, if necessary.

• Revise personal statement and supplemental essays.

• Register for interviews, if applicable.

• Ask summer employers or mentors for an additional recommendation, if applicable.

• Continue with standardized test prep, if necessary.

• Take standardized test, if applicable.

Parents

• Review (but do not revise) your student’s essay(s) and share feedback.

11th

Please review this with your child and adjust it appropriately for their learning style.

Students

• Review social media accounts and pay attention to what you post. Nothing is private in social media, and colleges may review the social media accounts of students.

• Review personality and strength-finders assessment and take it again if necessary.

• Start the year off strong; review your transcript and junior-year schedule. Are you taking honors, advanced, or Advanced Placement courses?

• Register for and take standardized tests (PSAT, ACT, or SAT)

• Continue to invest yourself in extracurricular activities and seek out positions of leadership.

• Start to visit colleges on school holidays, preferable when college students are on campus (ask school counselor to have excused absences)

• Pay close attention to twelfth graders and their college application process.

• Prepare for fall college visits (by coming up with questions to ask, etc.).

• Ask a school counselor if you can join in-school college information sessions

Parents

• Attend a financial aid and college scholarship workshop or webinar.

• Schedule college visits.

10th Grade

Please review this with your child and adjust it appropriately for their learning style.

Students

• Complete a personality or strength-finders assessment to learn more about your strengths, interests, and possible majors and careers. This will help with course selection.

• Continue to explore extracurricular activities and start to think about possible leadership positions.

• Update your documented activities and accomplishments list. This will become the basis or a résumé.

• Grades start to really matter, so you should be working hard and learning what subjects you like and excel in. You want to take honors, advanced, and Advanced Placement courses, if possible. Meet with your school counselor and a college admissions expert to discuss your plans.

• Take the PSAT, if offered (in the fall).

• Take a practice SAT and ACT to determine which one is best for you (in the spring).

• Be sure to use your summer productively and have a plan to work, volunteer, or do a project

• Start to research and build a list of colleges that you’re interested in (see below).

Parents

• Schedule a local college visit or one while on vacation so that you can start to familiarize your child with different schools.

• Discuss possible majors and careers with your child using their personality and strength-finders assessment as the primary source of information.

9th Grade

Please review this with your child and adjust it appropriately for their learning style.

Students

• Get adjusted to high school academically and get the best grades possible.

• Start exploring what extracurricular activities are offered (clubs, sports, community service, fine and performing arts)

• Start to document activities, academic and extracurricular accomplishments, summer and work experiences.

• Focus on time management skills: When will you do homework? How much time does it take you to complete homework thoroughly? What are you doing with your free time?

• Discuss summer opportunities (e.g., a job or a summer course) with your school counselor and parents and research them on your own.

Parents

• Have you discussed paying for college with your child? How much money have you saved? What is the budget?

• Question to ask a school counselor:

 ~ Do ninth graders take the PSAT?

~ What is the sequence of courses to take that will lead to honors, advanced, or Advanced Placement later in high school?

~ How can my child take those classes and when? 

~ When should my child visit or virtually connect with schools to demonstrate interest?