I remember the excitement of going back to school each year of high school.
The week before classes began, I’d take a trip to Office Depot or Staples with my mom (Amazon Prime did not exist back then…) to pick out all my notebooks and pens and office supplies.
She’d ask me: “Do you really need 10 different pens and 7 different notebooks?”
“Yes, Mom. I need a different color notebook to keep track of each class…” I’d reply.
[Does anybody else love office supplies and organization as much as I do?? If so, please respond and let me know that I’m not alone!]
But beyond picking out new outfits for the first week of school and organizing notebooks and folders for each class…
What can you as a parent be doing to help your kid stay on top of the college admissions game right now? Here are two activities you should be encouraging your child to do as they enter the new school year…
For Freshmen students:
- Practice just one SAT or ACT each day of the year to start getting familiar with standardized test questions. Your kid can use this website (and there’s even an app to download for easy reminder and practice).
- Make a list of all of the possible clubs and activities that they’re interested in participating in at school. Freshman year is the only year that I encourage your child to try a little bit of everything in order to see what they really enjoy. In later years, they’ll narrow down these activities and really hone in on the ones that they love!
For Sophomore students:
- Check with the school guidance counselor to ensure that your child is registered for the PSAT this Fall (typically in October)
- Just like Freshmen students, I also encourage Sophomores to also practice just oneSAT or ACT each day of the year to start getting familiar with standardized test questions. Your kid can use this website (and there’s even an app to download for easy reminder and practice).
For Junior students:
- Check with the school guidance counselor to ensure that your child is registered for the PSAT this Fall (typically in October) AND…if your kid is not already registered to take the SAT or the ACT for the first time, pick the soonest date that they can be prepared, and register for the test (the sooner, the better).
- Encourage your child to run for and/or sign up for leadership positions in the various clubs, teams and organizations that they’re part of. It’s incredibly important to show leadership during this year of high school!
For Senior students:
- Finalize the list of colleges that your child will apply to, and mark down all application and scholarship deadlines on a sheet of paper or in your calendar.
- Start working on essays!! The common app officially went live on August 1st!! It’s so beneficial to start working on these essays early on so that your child has plenty of time to receive feedback and make edits.
Have any questions about the topics above?? Send me an email at marisa@talkcollegetome.com, and let me know what you’re concerned about!