There are many goals in life, but usually the main goal for high schoolers is to get into a good college based on their interest. But there isn’t a set timeline for what to do and when to do it to accomplish this goal. Many students are confused and don’t know the correct path to take when in high school to get into a good college. In this blog we will go through a recommended timeline that we have curated via thorough research to ensure that you have the resources and plan for your high school years.
Checkpoint 1: Summer before 9th grade
Some of you may be past this point but it’s still good to know what you should do to “Catch-up”. Of course this timeline isn’t strict, and the steps can be done whenever you can fit them into your high school journey. But most steps are essential and highly recommended to complete while building up your applications. During this time you should be focused on finding your interest area.
Timeline of Checkpoint 1:
July - Do free online courses via Coursera, or through colleges that offer them. This includes Harvard and MIT both of which have fully free courses spanning many different interest areas. This is really helpful when you are uncertain about your interest area, because you can experience courses that are curated for specific interests. This can help you find the main interest area you want to pursue through high school and maybe even major in college.
August - Create an independent project, or start your own research project. Also create your own website for this project, or simply for yourself. This helps advertise yourself and can even put you on the radar of colleges (that is if your website/project is a big hit). The project itself is a start for your resume, and this project is something you can continue throughout your high school career.
Overall Summer - During this summer time you should also do volunteering opportunities, and start researching college counselors. If you don’t want to use a college counselor, Xello is a great replacement as it can help you understand what colleges fit what majors and all the statistics of a college. But of course, you also want to have free time in summer, so don’t let this consume you fully. Maybe even start your project with your friends, to have a little fun!
Checkpoint 2: 9th Grade
This year of your high school journey is a transition year. Take the time to get used to the change in workload, and try to get as involved with your school as possible. Create good relationships with your teachers, and create new friends.
Timeline of Checkpoint 2:
September - This is when you would join different school clubs that you are interested in. You do want to keep in mind that colleges look to the clubs you joined to see how dedicated you are to what you say you are interested in pursuing in college. Some good clubs to join in high school are, clubs that are academically focused and clubs that include competitions for a certain interest group. It is also good to join clubs that attest to your culture. This includes clubs like Indian Student Association, or Black Student Associations, etc. However in high school there may be multiple clubs that interest you. It is good to only choose up to 3 as many have mandatory meetings that take time out of your day. During the start of the year it is also good to start looking for volunteering opportunities that you can continue through the school year.
October - For those of you who are fluent in another language (meaning you can speak, understand, read, and write in the language) then you have the option to take the second language test and waive your language credits. (This may not be the case depending on what high school you go to but for those who attend Eastlake or Skyline, this happens in the first semester of the year, usually in October.) The rest of October should be spent in properly transitioning.
January - In January many of the applications for summer programs open. You want to begin researching which summer programs you are interested in and want to attend. Summer programs offer different opportunities to learn more in your interest field. It helps build your understanding of a topic in an environment different from a traditional classroom. Some programs are online, some are on a campus of the college hosting the class. Depending on your interest area there are different programs you can apply to. Visit our Instagram to learn more about the summer programs.
February/March - Choose your courses for the next year. This is super important because usually in the higher years of high school you get more choice in the courses you want to take. You need to keep a track of what credits you have, and what you are interested in. Also take into account the workload and difficulty of the class. For example, if you know you aren’t going to go into a STEM field, and you have a weakness in STEM then don’t take AP Physics, or AP Chemistry. It will be overly hard for no reason and you won’t even use that knowledge when you go to college to pursue your major.
April - June - Now is the time to make your plan for the summer. Based on the courses you are taking next year, and the programs you are doing in the summer, create a plan of what your summer will look like. Block off weeks where you know you will be busy, doing your program, traveling, etc. Make time to do summer homework and study prior to the school year to ensure you won’t fall behind in the faster paced classes you will be taking in 10th grade.
Checkpoint 3: Summer Before 10th Grade
This summer will be different for everyone, depending on when your summer programs are along with when your other plans such as travel are. Use the rough plan you made during the school year, to properly structure your summer timeline. Plan what will occur through the months, and then weeks, and then your daily schedule. An example may be something such as the timeline below.
Example Timeline:
June - Free time with friends, packing for summer program in July
July - Summer Program and Travel with Family
August - Finishing Summer Homework, Online Summer Program, Link Crew + Preparing for Back to School.
June 24th- 30th - Time with Friends - spend an hour each day for pre-study for summer program
July 1st - 6th - Leaving for summer program, exploring city where program is held
July 8th - 22nd - Summer Program - follow their schedule
Etc.
During this summer you want to also search for leadership opportunities that you can do in the next year. This can be preparing to create a club in your school, starting tutoring sessions for elementary kids, joining the board of a non-profit, etc.
Adaptable Timeline for Checkpoint 3:
June - Spend the first week of your summer as a relaxing week. You have just finished your first year of high school, and you deserve a break.
July - This is usually when summer programs take place. If you are on campus they will have a schedule for you to follow. If you are doing a program online however, you should spend however much time then in class. Take notes on material that is new to you in class. After the class, take a break, maybe go on a short walk. Then come back and revise the notes you took in class to ensure that the material sticks in your brain.
Note if your summer program is in August, or June you would shift this portion to that time.
August - This is the most important part of the summer, the time you should finish all your summer homework for the classes you are taking next year. If you are taking AP courses, you should also read up on the material beforehand, so you aren’t lost when you get to the class, and you won’t fall behind. Additionally, though this is Eastlake specific, this is usually when fall sports begin. Some, such as girls swim (at Eastlake) have early morning practices, which will take a toll on you. Start preparing your routine to handle these practice times during school. You should also start preparing for the PSAT and SAT during this time, as you will take them soon.
Checkpoint 4: 10th Grade
This is the year where you need to finish building your college applications foundations. 9th grade was your test year. Based on what clubs you liked in 9th grade, which classes were your best grades, and which sports you did, you need to start becoming more and more involved. Try to find leadership opportunities, build a strong relationship with your teachers, and start working hard to maintain the grades you aim for.
Timeline for Checkpoint 4:
September and October - Transition into your classes, build relationships with your teachers, join clubs that you are interested in and look for outside of school competitions that will stand out on your college application. Start preparing for these competitions, and clubs. Also start working hard, if you are taking AP courses, as it is easy to fall behind due to the fast pace of the curriculum. In October you would take the PSAT, so you should also study during the summer and September to be as prepared as possible. This gives you an idea of what the SAT will be like and will help you be better prepared for the final SAT.
November - Make a Linkedin Profile and Resume. This creates a place for others to see your accomplishments, helping to put you onto the radar of colleges. It also helps you to connect to professionals in the industry that you are interested in and provides an easy way for companies/organizations to view your accomplishments.
December - Start looking for summer internships that you are interested in and start preparing applications. It is good to start early, as if you apply early then it will seem to the company/organization that you are really interested in the opportunity and may help you secure the internship.
January - Finalize application and apply for internships. Ensure that your semester 1 grades are where you want them to be, catch up on any work that you may be behind on, study for any competitions and club work you are doing.
April - Start studying for the SAT that you will be taking next year, gather the material you need to study. There are multiple resources such as practice books and social media accounts dedicated to helping students with the SAT. Though you can take multiple attempts on the SAT it is better to take as few attempts as possible, as that looks better on college applications.
Depending on what club you are in, the officer applications would be open from April to June. Apply to an officer position, to secure a leadership position in junior year. Along with this the officer experience would set you on the track to become a president of the club if you do a good job.
Checkpoint 5: Summer before 11th Grade
This is the time when you are getting practical experience in the field you want to go into. Completing internships, and studying for the SAT would take up the most of your time and should be your first priority. There’s no real timeline for this, it all really depends on your schedule. However devoting your time to these two things is very important as they are two major parts of your application/resume
Adaptable Timeline for Checkpoint 5:
June - Week long break!
July - Complete internships and study for the SAT
August - Devote most of your time to studying for the SAT, complete summer homework, perform the same preparation tactic you did for AP courses in the summer before 10th grade, and prepare for back to school.
Checkpoint 6: 11th Grade
This is your most busy year, as you are really adding the finishing touches on your applications, and ensuring you will come off as a well rounded student to colleges. You need to have solid grades, a few leadership positions, a sports activity that you have excelled (or done fairly well in), awards/achievements outside of school, and of course high standardized test scores.
Timeline for Checkpoint 6:
September - This is the one month you get to finish preparing for the SAT, build relationships with your teachers, and start working in the leadership position of your club.
October - Take the PSAT for the second time as preparation for the SAT, begin an out of school research project through organizations such as iStart Valley.
November - Take the SAT first attempt and begin studying for second attempt just in case you want to based off your results
April - Take the SAT second attempt if needed, start preparing for college applications
Checkpoint 7: Summer Before 12th Grade
You are almost done now! This is when you do more internships and start your college applications. Look into universities that have classes/majors that interest you and start writing the essays for the common app.
Adaptable Timeline for Checkpoint 7:
June - Week long break!
July - Start researching universities that have classes and majors in fields that you want to go into along with that meet the other expectations and desires you have for a college. These desires can include being in a city like New York, or being near where you live now, along with others. Also do some internships and shadow professionals in the field that you want to go into.
August - This is when you would start your college applications to universities of your choice. Also start drafting the first part of the common app.
Checkpoint 8: 12th Grade
You made it to the final checkpoint! During this last year, have some fun. Finish working on your college applications, apply for scholarships, complete your classes, but also celebrate making it this far.
Timeline for 12th Grade:
September - Start college applications. You will need to write a lot of essays and all the colleges will have a different deadline for different scholarships, early application, etc. To stay organized make an excel sheet of all the deadlines. This is also when you would take the third attempt of the SAT if needed
December - Start applications for scholarships and finalize your applications
April to June - Celebrate! You finished high school!
Hopefully these timelines for each checkpoint in your high school journey are helpful for you!
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