sophomore
Sophomore Application Process Also in College Application Process:Introduction | Junior Application Process | Senior Application Process | Sophomore Application Process Fall of your Sophomore Year
Become involved in extracurricular activities here at MSSM. Remember, this first year will be all about finding a balance between your new workload and your participation in a wider intellectual and social community. Colleges do not want to see you involved in fifty activities you don't care about. Choose one or two activities that are truly important to you, perhaps something you were already involved in at your sending school, and throw yourself into them. A college would rather see you change the world with one activity then be a part of every activity. Attend any college presentation that you can. Throughout the year, we will bring many different types of college representatives to the school. Often, these reps will have informal information sessions in the upper lounge of the dorm, outside of the Residence Staff Office. You can stop it at these meetings on your way back from class or up to dinner and learn an awful lot about different types of colleges. There will also be more formal presentations made by the Director of College Counseling and visiting representatives. These more formal presentations are required, so you can't help but learn! Talk with your parents about what you're learning. This is a great time for you and your family to begin talking together about what interests you in your education. Conversations like these can naturally lead to discussions about each of your expectations about college. These talks are necessary because we all want to be on the same page when it's finally time to move forward with the application process.
PSATs. During the Fall of your Sophomore Year, you will be expected to prepare and take the PSAT. This test, usually given on the morning before October Extended Weekend, will be the kick-off for your participation in the National Merit Competition (which can result in helpful and well-respected scholarships). All Sophomores are automatically registered for the PSAT. To learn Spring of Your Sophomore Year
Have a meeting with the College Counselor. If you've never had the opportunity to meet with the College Counselor, now is your chance! It's time to sit down with me and discuss some of your most preliminary thoughts on the whole college process. Continue Exploring Colleges. This can (and should) happen both before and after your meeting with the Counselor. Visit websites or, better yet, the actual colleges, whenever possible. Talk with other people about which college they went to, why, and what the pros and cons of that college were/are. Keep your Parents in the Loop! Continue with Standardized Testing. You may find yourself taking AP exams for the first time this Spring. You will take the SAT (near the end of the year), you may also take the SAT Subject Tests and the ACT, all important tests, all valuable in the college process. Summer of Your Sophomore Year (Summer!?)
That's right! The Summer is one of the most important times to the college search! Why? There's no school, of course! Visit Colleges! Talk with the College Counselor before you go and try to visit all the different types of colleges you can find. Some of the generic "types" of school are listed below: Divided by size:
Divided by Location (there is a great deal of nuance within these three):
Participate in a Meaningful Summer Activity. Don't just sit around, no matter how tempting it is! Do some volunteer work, find some type of summer enrichment program or get a job. Make sure that whatever you do is something useful and worthwhile , and there really is nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned summer job. Begin to make a List. Based on the research you've done during the year and, hopefully, over the summer, make a preliminary list of schools you may want to learn more about. |
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