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We know you want to make the most out of each year of high school, but figuring out how to do that can be overwhelming. The EA checklists for incoming freshmen, sophomores, and juniors provide a great starting place. Our checklist for incoming sophomores is below. If you missed the list for freshmen, see here.
EA Checklist for Incoming Sophomores
So what are the priorities for incoming sophomores? With a whole year of high school under their belts, they are usually feeling pretty good, but also like college is AGES away. The key is to keep having fun and enjoying the moment while paving the way for success in the long term.
✓ Begin a college list. It’s never too early to start! Just remember that the list is fluid and will certainly change over time.
✓ Start planning some college tours. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to tour 10 schools junior and senior years. So if you have some that are must-sees (state schools, parents’ alma mater, etc.), it’s not too early to go check them out. This can also help you start to narrow your list.
✓ Take foreign language classes. If you didn’t start freshman year, DEFINITELY start now. We recommend 2 years of foreign language as the bare minimum, but 3 or 4 years is ideal.
✓ Keep up the extracurriculars. As during freshman year, aim for one sport, one club, and one community service project during the course of sophomore year. (Of course, “sport” could be subbed for the school play, and “club” for some other extracurricular that you are particularly interested in. The key is to use your time well and explore your interests thoroughly!)
✓ Grades, grades, grades. It may seem obvious, but we’ll repeat this for every year anyway. It’s hard to underestimate the importance of grades when it comes to college applications. If you’re struggling in a certain subject, NOW is the time to begin academic tutoring.
✓ Make an ACT/SAT plan. If you are on track to take pre-calc at the beginning of junior year, that means taking the ACT in September or October of that year. Which means taking a prep class in the summer following your sophomore year.
The good news for sophomores is that even if you missed some of the checklist items from freshman year, you still have a lot of time to fit things in. Don’t get discouraged if freshman year was spent finding your footing–sophomore year is a great time to seize the day!
Stay tuned for our junior year checklist. And if you have any questions about how to implement this checklist for incoming sophomores or how to make the most out of sophomore year, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 720-216-2222 or info@eliteacademics.com.