•          girl reading CHECKPOINT!

    A guide to help inform and assist high school parents/students with
    the critical points of high school and post-secondary education plans.
     
     
     
                     FRESHMAN             SOPHMORE              JUNIOR
    +TAKE CHALLENGING COURSES
    Colleges love to see that a student has pushed him/herself
    +DEFINE CAREER OBJECTIVES/INSIGHT
    What interests you? (Hobby? Passion? Athletics?)
    +MEET WITH GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
    Credit requirements for graduation?
    Are there courses available relevant to interest?
    +FOCUS ON GRADES
    A cleaner transcript - An easier review/acceptance
    +CONTINUE WITH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
    Develop social/communication skills with an ability to speak to another culture
    +GET HELP, IF NEEDED!!!
    A struggle in the beginning = A struggle in the end
    (unless help is asked for!)
    +EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (At least 2)
    Be passionate about them. They exhibit leadership potential and involvement
    +VISIT COLLEGES
    Educate yourself & get some insight/an idea of college and post-secondary education
    +READ A LOT!
    Increase verbal, written & critical thinking skills
    +DO NOT BLOW YOUR SUMMER OFF
    It can help you develop an impressive resume! Volunteer? Sports Camp? Employment? Travel? Community Service?
    +'LOST OPPORTUNITIES' WILL BE WAITING...
    Life could more easily result to a low number of net-working opportunities & options. Often times, employment is achieved through net-working with individuals who you have come into contact with during post-secondary educational enrollment and attendance.

     

    +TAKE CHALLENGING COURSES
    Colleges love to see that a student has pushed him/herself
    +DEFINE CAREER OBJECTIVES/INSIGHT
    What interests you? (Hobby? Passion? Athletics?)
    +PUT EFFORT INTO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
    What can you bring to the college community? Leadership positions?
    +CONTINUE WITH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
    (Follow through with ONE language, not 3 different beginning languages)
    +TAKE THE TRIAL ACT
    Familiarize and prepare yourself: SCORES ARE CRITICAL!
    +FAMILIARIZE SELF W/ THE 'COMMON APPLICATION'
    The 'Common Application' usually consists of this information: *Personal Data (Birthdate, Soc. Sec. #, Address) *Family Information (Household #, Income, Parental Info) *Letter of Recommendation *Application Essay *Work Experience *Academic Honors *Test Scores *Extracurricular Info
    +BROWSE WEB FOR COLLEGES
    Inform & educate yourself - College Majors? Admission Criteria? Sports offered?
    +KEEP READING
    Increase verbal, written, critical thinking skills. Learn to recognize 'languages'
    +HAVE A SUMMER PLAN
    Plan your summer by working/tapping into interests and passions that help develop personal growth and valuable experiences
    +'LOST OPPORTUNITIES' WILL BE WAITING...
    Life could more easily result to a low number of net-working opportunities & options. Often times, employment is achieved through net-working with individuals who you have come into contact with during post-secondary educational enrollment and attendance.
    +TAKE THE ACT (Test & Re-Test!)
    Familiarize & prepare yourself: SCORES ARE CRITICAL! Higher Score = Higher Chance for Academic SCHOLARSHIPS!
    +TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AP EXAMS/UPPER-LEVEL COURSE OFFERINGS
    Shows that you attempted to challenge yourself (even w/ a score of 3)
    +KEEP GRADES UP
    A drop in grades at this level can cause a 'red flag' for some schools/colleges
    +CONTINUE W/ A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (It's impressive!)
    Develop social/communication skills with an ability to speak to another culture. Follow through with ONE language, not 3 different beginning languages
    +OBTAIN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
    be passionate about them. They exhibit leadership potential and involvement
    +SPRING ACT TESTINGS!
    Good ACT Scores can sometimes suffice for a poor GPA or class rank
    +VISIT COLLEGES AND BROWSE THE WEB
    Inform and educate yourself. College Majors offered? Admission criteria? Sports?
    +HAVE A SUMMER PLAN & MAKE THE MOST OF IT!
    Plan your summer by working/tapping into interests and passions that develop personal growth and valuable experiences
    +'LOST OPPORTUNITIES' WILL BE WAITING...
    Life could more easily result to a low number of net-working opportunities & options. Often times, employment is achieved through net-working with individuals who you have come into contact with during post-secondary educational enrollment and attendance.