Work hard and maintain good grades
Stay focused on grades and build strong study habits early on
Meet with counselor about AP/Pre-AP classes
Ask counselor about taking AP or Pre-AP classes to challenge yourself
Join an academic club
Join clubs like Robotics, Mathematics, Debate, Soccer to build a social network of hard workers. You are the average of who you spend time with. These clubs provide leadership opportunities and connections with others applying to college
Research summer STEM camps
Search for camps at local universities to experience college life firsthand. Google 'engineering summer camps in [city]' or 'engineering summer camps at [university]'
Research potential college majors
Review required university courses and career paths for majors you're interested in. Look up expected salaries and job opportunities
Start standardized test prep
Begin familiarizing yourself with SAT/ACT format through practice tests and prep materials
Create a resume
Start documenting your activities, awards, and volunteer work early to track your achievements
Maintain strong academic performance
Keep your grades up and stay focused
Take leadership roles in clubs
Start new initiatives and projects to gain valuable leadership experience
Enroll in AP courses
Take AP courses and aim to do well on the exams for college credit
Take PSAT/PreACT
Get experience with standardized testing and identify areas for improvement
Start college visits
Visit local colleges to get a feel for different campus sizes and environments. Send an email to a professor in your local community college to understand what their college experience was like.
Consider summer internships
Look for opportunities at local companies or research labs to gain real-world experience
Apply to summer college programs
Research and apply to programs like SAMS CMU, MITES MIT, Code Longhorn
Begin college application essays
Start writing essays about yourself, your accomplishments, and your goals. Focus on specific numbers and vivid details. Lookup the application prompts of the colleges you want to apply to. Find themes between the prompts
Take community college classes
Some highschools offer ealy college programs that partner with collunity colleges. Earn early college credits to help graduate early, take advanced classes, or double major
Meet regularly with college counselor
Your college councelor should be your best friend Junior and Senior year. Dont be afraid to introduce yourself sooner. Ask about pathways to target schools, available scholarships, and connections with alumni
Take SAT/ACT
Take tests early to allow time for retakes if needed. Consider test-optional schools
Research financial aid
Understand FAFSA, CSS Profile, and start searching for scholarships
Create college list
Research and categorize schools into reach, target, and safety options
Research fly-out programs
Look for fly-out opportunities at schools like Caltech, Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Mellon, Rice, MIT
Submit college applications
Start applications early and use AI tools like ChatGPT to help with planning
Request recommendation letters
Ask two teachers before summer ends, ideally those who know you well
Finalize application essays
Adapt summer program essays, include specific numbers, and add vivid details. Use AI tools to strengthen inspirational tone
Submit FAFSA/CSS Profile
Complete financial aid forms as early as possible after October 1st
Apply for scholarships
Use resources like FastWeb, Scholarships.com, and local community organizations
Compare financial aid packages
Carefully review and compare offers before making final decision. Give a phone call to the finanical aid offices of universities to understand what options you have. It could mean work study or scholarship applications.