A College Admissions Game Plan for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors

For current juniors:

• Make sure you are registered to take at least one SAT or ACT before the end of junior year. March and April are solid choices because the student gets the test out of the way before AP exams and finals happen. 
• Think about what majors you are considering right now. When you have a clear idea of a major choice, you can design your summer around this major. For example, if you want to be a history major like Max is considering, volunteering at a local history museum or your town's historical society this summer would be wonderful evidence for your major choice!
• Be mindful of the courses you select for senior year. You will need to list them on every application and many colleges will require senior year grades. If you take it easy and reduce the rigor or number of core academic courses, colleges will notice. If you take on too much for senior year, it may be difficult to balance all of the responsibilities of applying to college. At the very least, prioritize your five core academic courses: English, math, science, history, and world/ancient language.
• Reach out to your school counselor, especially if they haven't reached out to you. Bring them up to speed about where you are in the process and ask if they have any recommendations.
  
  

For current sophomores:

• Assess all the activities you are currently doing right now. Which ones do you love? Which ones have you outgrown? What activities do you want to start? Are you setting yourself up for any leadership roles by senior year? For example, if Max wants to be a Classics or history applicant, he should have at least one one or two activities (out of the ten spots available on Common App) that provide evidence for one of these majors. As a two-sport varsity athlete, I also want him to be thinking about what it takes to become captain of the swim team and/or tennis team by senior year.
• Think about segmenting your summer into three categories. Have fun with your friends. Begin test prep for the SAT or ACT. And, do something productive (i.e. something that can ultimately be reported on your activities section!)—get a summer job, volunteer if you haven't had time to do it, do research, or do something that aligns with your academic interests.
• Stretch yourself, within reason, when it comes to picking your junior year courses. Junior year is often the year when students are more likely to take AP courses (or your school's equivalent); it's also the year that tends to challenge students the most. For this reason, don't go from zero APs in 10th grade to five APs in 11th grade. This would be a hard adjustment for anyone. But if you are currently doing well in your courses, consider increasing the rigor a bit for next year. Should Max take AP Chemistry next year and then wait to take AP Physics during senior year? Probably. He's not going to be a STEM applicant, so there's no urgency to take physics (as long as he takes it by senior year) and he's loving Honors Chemistry right now. Should he take that extra course: AP Human Geography? Maybe. He really likes history and social studies courses. And because his school combines English and history into one course, he has room in his schedule.
  
  

For current freshmen:

• Take a moment to evaluate how you're doing—academically, extracurricularly, and personally. Are your courses too easy or too hard? Are you staying busy after school each day? Students with activities, sports, or jobs right after school tend to be more productive, happier, and achieve higher grades because they are disciplined about doing their homework and studying. Have you put yourself out there and met new friends? You have time to make adjustments so that you can become the person you want to be.
• When you pick your classes and new activities you want to try for sophomore year, don't follow the crowd. Do what's best for you. The students who have the courage to follow their ambitions and passions end up seeing better results in high school, the college admissions process, and in life.
• Start thinking about what you want to do this summer. I don't care what you do as long as it's appropriate and productive. The summer after freshman year rarely ends up making the cut on your activities list. There are often other things that you do that end up being more relevant or are a more sustained activity that will bump your summer activity from freshman year off the list. You can volunteer, babysit, train for your sport or instrument, or explore a hobby or academic interest. Just do something!
  
  

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