Smart Planning: A Four-Year Roadmap to College Success for High School Students
When it comes to college admissions, the earlier you prepare, the less stressful the process will be. A well-structured four-year plan can guide students through these pivotal years, ensuring they make the most of their opportunities and stay on track to achieve their admissions goals.
Freshman Year: Building a Strong Foundation
As a freshman, college seems so far away. However, freshman year grades count towards a student's cumulative GPA, or their overall average throughout all four years of high school, a key component of university admissions. During the first year of high school, students should establish a target GPA and develop good study habits. If a student knows that their dream school is Boston University, which has an average GPA of 3.88 among accepted students, they should be aiming to maintain mostly As throughout high school.?
AP and honors courses may not be available to freshmen at all high schools, but students should talk to their guidance counselor to understand what are some of the more challenging courses offered at their school. Admissions counselors will consider how difficult a student’s curriculum was compared to what their school offers, so it is important to plan to take at least some challenging courses during high school, like AP and dual enrollment. Taking different courses can also help students try new subjects and learn more about what their potential university major might be.?
Freshman year is also a great time to explore various extracurricular activities to discover interests and passions. Starting to volunteer early builds a record of community involvement, which is valuable for college applications. Universities like to see commitment from students when it comes to extracurricular activities. So, students should be picking activities that they will ideally stick with and gain leadership positions in later in high school.
Sophomore Year: Expanding Horizons
In sophomore year, students should continue taking core subjects and add advanced or AP courses if available. Preparing and taking the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is also important as it allows students to gauge how well they will do later on the SAT and build a study plan. By the end of sophomore year, students should know when they plan to take the SAT or ACT.
By this time, some students might know exactly what they want to do while others are still unsure about what they would eventually like to major in. Both of these are okay! Sophomore year is a great time to look into summer programs or camps related to academic interests or career goals. Many universities offer on-campus summer programs for high school students, or, students can even take free online courses. Career exploration becomes more significant in the sophomore year. Job shadowing professionals in fields of interest can provide valuable real-world insights. Blue Ivy offers University Orientation programs to help sophomores prepare for the college admissions process, pinpointing potential majors and universities for each student based on their interests and needs.?
Note: If a student is interested in athletics at the Division I or Division II level, during sophomore year, they should begin the recruiting process by reaching out to potential coaches directly.
Junior Year: Crunch time
Junior year is crucial for academic excellence and college preparation and when the bulk of the admissions work should be done. Students should take the most challenging courses available to demonstrate academic rigor. Preparing for and taking standardized tests like the SAT or ACT is essential. Tests are offered multiple times throughout the year and taking these tests more than once provides the opportunity for students to increase their score. We suggest that students finish taking the SAT by the end of August before their senior year, to leave enough time to finalize applications and essays during the fall of their senior year.
This is also the time to begin researching colleges and universities, attending college fairs, and information sessions. Students need to take the initiative to contact university representatives themselves to show interest in the school or program. Connecting with universities is also a great way for students to figure out what they like and don’t like. Even if you can’t visit a school in person, there are plenty of ways to connect online via virtual tours and online information sessions.
In terms of extracurricular activities, students should continue or assume leadership positions and deepen their involvement in volunteer work, aiming for meaningful contributions. Building strong relationships with teachers who can write recommendation letters is another critical task during this year. By the end of the year, students should have already asked at least two teachers to write their letter of recommendation and ideally, have an idea of what they would like to write their college essay about.
Senior Year: Finalizing Plans
The summer leading up to senior year is a great time to complete the personal statement, or the Common App Essay. In the late summer/early fall, students will also need to work on supplemental essays, or additional essays that each college may ask them to submit.?
During senior year, maintaining a strong GPA remains important. Even after being accepted, colleges will still ask for and review student’s grades from senior year. Students should continue taking challenging courses and complete any required senior projects or capstone courses. The college application process should be finalized early in the senior year, usually with deadlines falling around October or November for Early Action/Decision and December or January for Regular admission.?
Additionally, students applying for financial aid should complete the FAFSA and/or CSS profile. The FAFSA is only available to US citizens while the CSS can be completed by international students applying for financial aid at the few universities that give financial aid to international students.
The period between pressing send and awaiting admission letters can be tough on students. It’s important to celebrate the hard work that students have done up until this point. Students may be accepted, rejected, or waitlisted. Waitlisted means that the student has not been offered immediate admission but may still have a chance to be accepted if space becomes available. Students on the waitlist should confirm their interest in remaining on the list and continue to pursue other options as they wait for a final decision. Admissions decisions should be received by the spring of senior year, and then it’s time to make a decision! May 1 is National Decision Day, the deadline by which high school seniors must notify colleges of their intent to enroll. Usually this entails both sending a commitment letter and an enrollment deposit to the school you intend to attend in the fall.?
By following a structured four-year plan, students can navigate high school with confidence and feel well prepared when the application process begins.
Written by Cara Duffy, Application Coaching Coach for BIC?
Cara graduated from The Catholic University of America Summa cum laude with a BA in Political Science in 2019. After graduating, Cara received a Fulbright Grant to teach English in Mexico, where she's lived ever since. She has recently received a Master's in Public Policy at IBERO.