The first big leap into college admissions will be taking the PSAT in October of your sophomore year. Go to http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html to find out more about the PSAT. This is purely a practice test! You will be taking the PSAT again in the junior year for possible qualification for National Merit Semifinalist status and scholarship.
Once your PSAT scores are available, and if you checked on your PSAT answer sheet that you wish to receive materials from colleges, you will receive mail from colleges… lots of mail. I recommend devising a filing system for all that college mail. Some colleges you will know already by name. Some will be unfamiliar to you. You may start by dividing the mail into two stacks, the known and the unknown. Take time to peruse the information in BOTH groups. You never know, you may find your dream school is one you are not familiar with right now. The sophomore year is a great time to familiarize yourself with colleges in a general fashion.
Continue to build a strong academic profile in the sophomore year. and take advantage of rigorous courses when possible. Grades count. If you liked what you did in the ninth grade outside of school, continue in those activities. Seek leadership opportunities. Get in the habit of writing: send regular e-mails to friends, write letters to grandparents, or keep a journal. Read for pleasure!
Think about summer activities. First, take a break and take time to have fun and enjoy your family and friends. But also think about programs or activities you would like to participate in during the summer: camp, sports, travel, volunteer or enrichment programs. Petersons http://www.petersons.com/summerop/ is a great website resource for finding summer programs. The College Counseling Office has a filing cabinet full of summer program resources. Come by any time and take a look. Summer is the perfect time to invest in activities that you may build upon in your high school years.
The summer between 10th and 11th grades is a good time to begin visiting colleges. Most college websites will have a schedule of tours and information about making an appointment. Take advantage of the variety of colleges and universities in your own backyard. Memphis is home to a large, public universities (University of Memphis), medium-sized, private universities (Rhodes, Christian Brothers). Even if you’re planning to go out-of-town for college, visiting local colleges will help you develop a sense of what you like and don’t like in a college experience.
While the formal college counseling program at Briarcrest begins in the junior year, the college counseling staff welcomes you to take advantage of programs we are offering this year. The college counseling staff is happy to answer questions. Have a great sophomore year!