What Should I Be Doing Now?
You may be wondering what you should be doing right now in order to prepare for college. Whether you are a freshman, a senior, or somewhere in between, you are at a particular point on your college admissions timeline. There are a set of tasks that you can accomplish each year to prepare yourself for the following year. Below I have listed a few key priorities for this fall semester that can help prepare you for college.
Fall 2022
9th Grade:
- Begin working on Scoir profile (We will work on this as a group)
- Explore and engage in extracurricular activities
- Create an activity log to track your extracurricular activities, summer experiences, honors, and achievements
- Plan a visit to a college you are interested in
- Take the PSAT – School Day at PCA on October 25th
- Meet with Dr. Horton to begin building a relationship
- Athletes: Become familiar with NCAA and NAIA recruiting requirements
10th Grade:
- Continue to be involved in non-academic extracurricular activities and take on a leadership role; Try something new outside of your comfort zone
- Update activity log
- Challenge yourself academically by trying a dual enrollment course
- Focus on keeping grades up
- Complete YouScience Assessment in Scoir (We will work on this as a group)
- Take the PSAT – School Day at PCA October 25th
- Attend college fairs and lunch visits
- Plan a visit or two to a college you are interested in
- Explore college majors and careers
- Meet with Dr. Horton
- Athletes: If you are considering playing your sport collegiately, register with the NCAA and/or NAIA Eligibility Centers
11th Grade:
- Attend local college fairs and college lunch visits
- Update activity log; begin creating a resume
- Explore colleges in Scoir
- Start creating a list of colleges based on your preferences in Scoir
- Keep your grades up; Your junior year grades are the last ones schools will prior to making their admissions decisions
- Continue to challenge yourself academically by taking a dual enrollment course
- Take PSAT/NSMQT on October 25th at PCA; This test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship
- Meet with Dr. Horton
- Athletics: Complete online athletic recruitment forms; make a highlight video
12th Grade:
- Confirm final college list, admissions requirements, and deadlines
- Take final round of college visits
- Check back in with recommendation writers
- Meet with Dr. Horton
- Apply no later than early action deadlines which are typically around Nov. 1st (every college is different so be sure to know your college admissions deadlines)
- Complete transcript request form
- Apply for institutional scholarships as well as outside scholarships
- Send test scores to colleges if not applying test-optional
- Wait for admissions decision
- Parents: Start preparing financial aid paperwork
