- Best Grades Ever: Every kid in America will hear from Mom and Dad about the need to do well in 11th Take it from me, you need to come ready to play every day. Push your grades in 11th grade to the best they’ve ever been. That’s what admissions folks at top 150 colleges expect. If you need help, ask teachers for tutorials before or after school. Get a tutor if you’re in danger of a C grade or lower.
- Take Tough Courses, Especially in Areas of Interest:
You do not need to take the entire AP curriculum, but you would be wise to challenge yourself with a tough, but not overwhelming set of courses. Interested in STEM? Take that AP Physics or Calc offering. Future social scientist? Push yourself with AP English and AP US History. Love Languages? Spanish IV, Chinese Honors, or IB French is a must. - Distinguish Yourself: Break from the pack of tens of thousands of applicants that all have good grades, SAT scores, and overstuffed resumes. Get started on a passion project now. Write that independent study paper on the performance of small cap stocks in the 2008-2018 period. Apply to be a
research assistant at the local university Bio lab. Plan a service trip to Tanzania with your classmates. Write and record the solo album for sax. Do what you love! - Take Time for Quiet Reflection on What’s Important to You: You’re going to be busy with school, activities, and SAT/ACTs. Mom, Dad, classmates, and school folks will keep the pressure up. But, you must remember that mental health is critical to your success. Take some time to unwind, let down, and to appreciate what you have. Think for a few minutes about your future plans and your dream career. It’s your life, what do you want in it?!
- Prep for SAT/ACT/Subject Tests: You want to be done with standardized testing by June of 11th You probably need to take the standardized tests at least twice to hit your target score. Be cautious and plan that you’ll need three attempts to reach your desired score. So, you probably need to take your first test this winter and will want to start prepping by mid-October.
Plan Your Summer Now: Summer before 12th grade should be used productively towards your interests. What would you like to spend 100 hours on this summer? A college course? Soccer skills? Travel, service, research? Don’t wait until spring; start planning now before the school year gets too crazy.
