COURSE PLANNING

Rather than look at just what courses to take now, map out a plan for all of high school. This will ensure that you not only meet your high school graduation requirements, but that you allow yourself to explore electives that appeal to you and you appropriately plan for courses that may be recommended
for college.



EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT 

Look for ways to get involved in activities, clubs, sports, volunteer work, jobs, and hobbies that reflect your interests and strengths.



STANDARDIZED TESTING

​Take a full-length diagnostic ACT and SAT before you ever register for an official test. This will give you a baseline score and help you determine which test might be a better fit for you. Then you can focus your energy on one test rather than two.



“ME” WORK

I always tell students that before they can begin to understand which colleges to consider, they have to understand themselves. Take the time to do some introspection and self-reflection. Do you know your natural talents and abilities? How do you learn best? What is it that you love to do in your free time? Answer these kinds of questions
before you begin to research schools, because once you do, you will know what information to look for to help
you decide if the school might be right for you.



FINANCIAL AID PLANNING
Have a conversation with your student about the budget for college and set realistic expectations about what is possible. Familiarize yourself with the cost of college and the resources out there to estimate your potential costs over four years (or longer!). Save your student the trouble of researching and falling in love with colleges that will never meet your family’s budget by doing this work sooner rather than later.