School Mode Starts Now

 Summer has flown by! High school has started for some, with others joining weekly!

Kicking your brain back into “school” mode: 

As the lazy days of summer come to an end, it’s time to shift gears and prepare for the upcoming school year. Instead of sleeping in and staying up late, it’s time to start waking up early and getting ready for school. There are a few important things to keep in mind, so let’s go over these key points for each grade level in the next couple of weeks.

Seniors:

• How are you doing on your plans for “after high school?”
• Do you know the career that you are wanting to perform moving forward?
• If university or college is in your plans – do you have your short list of schools put together
• Do you know applications are already being accepted from all Arizona state schools?
• Have you put together a task list of all critical steps and deadlines together?
• Have you developed your list of recommenders? Have you asked the requested recommender – personally? Have you sent them your “brag sheet?”

You are entering “Application Session” with “Scholarship Session” coming soon! You are now on the clock.

Juniors:

This is your busiest year! Your academic classes and overall college admissions testing will be the focus.

• How’s your GPA? This is really the last year that you can have an overall impact on your GPA for college requirements. Continue to focus on doing the best possible work that you can.
• PSAT testing for juniors is important. Testing is usually in October! Check with your high school as to when the exact dates are. PSAT is the only test that can give you scholarship offers based on your test score. Test preparations for PSAT is important. If you are looking for a particular test prep – I recommend Revolution Prep (not compensated for this). Just have seen the results in students.
• How’s your resume looking? This does not mean that you only place the work employment that you have performed. You need to be keeping track of all of your extra-curricular and volunteering you have performed. Everything that you do – offers you the opportunity for experiences.

There is no other way to put this – you are close to the finish line. More time has passed then you have left to go. That is a good and bad thing. If you are in good shape – stay focused and do what you have been doing. If you need help, ask. Your counselors, teachers, and parents all want the best for you – take them up on that!

Sophomores:

• Review your GPA from your freshman year. Was your unweighted GPA 3.5 or better? If so, you have started out strong. If not, you have to make sure that you are focusing on doing the best possible work. 
• How’s your resume looking? This does not mean that you only place the work employment that you have performed. You need to be keeping track of all of your extra-curricular and volunteering you have performed. Everything that you do – offers you the opportunity for experiences.

Treat your sophomore year by looking at the career that you want to perform after high school. Using that career choice – to validate this is right for you. By simply joining clubs and volunteering in that career choice. You may find your career choice is not for you. The exposure to that career choice will help build your network!

Freshmen:

You just walked into high school for the first time. You have to worry about where the classes are, when and where is lunch, who will I be sitting with, and how am I going to get from class to class in 5 minutes. Important as each one of those are, there is still the bigger picture to thinking about. Like building a house the prep work and foundation is the first step. An important step. How you build a strong foundation for your high school career will set you up later on.

Make sure that you are staying focused and doing your best work.