05 Jul Road Map for July: Class of 2024
You’ve officially completed the first half of high school and believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking a little bit about college. By the end of 10th grade I like students to have done a few college visits, but this summer can also be a good time for that. The goal of these initial visit is to see what kinds of schools might be a good fit for you. Do you want to be in the middle of a city or do you want a campus with lots of green space? Will you be comfortable in lectures of 250 students or would you learn better in small discussion-based classes? Are you picturing Saturdays at football games or are big-time sports not your thing? Once you have a general sense of what you’re looking for, you can spend your junior year researching and visiting specific colleges that might actually end up on your list by this time next year.
Another thing that can be great for you to do now is figure out what standardized tests you’ll want to take next year. Many test prep companies offer practice tests, or you can download a practice SAT (or PSAT) and practice ACT. See if you’re better at one than the other and if so, that’s your test.
Once you know which test you’ll be taking , you can decide when you want to test. (SAT registration for the upcoming school year is now open, and ACT will be opening registration soon.) My goal is to have students finished with the SAT or ACT before the beginning of 12th grade, which means you have plenty of time; however, it can be hard to fit prep in during the year with all the demands of school, so you might choose to do test prep this summer while you have more free time. That will allow you to choose the test dates that fit best in your schedule for the year around your other commitments. One caveat, however: if you have not finished Algebra 1 and 2 and Geometry, I recommend you hold off on testing until next spring when you have more of the content under your belt. I’m currently enrolling rising juniors in college advising packages. To learn more, please feel free to schedule a call here.