• Pre-College Plan
    • Middle School
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    • Early Decision & Early Action
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    • Essay/Personal Statement
  • Choosing
    • What to Consider
  • The Visit
    • Preparations
    • What to Ask
    • The Ideal Visit
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  • Checklists
    • 8th Grade
    • 9th Grade
    • 10th Grade
    • 11th Grade
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  • Resources

Grade 10 College Prep Checklist

10th grade is a crucial one in the world of college prep:

  • Meet again with your counselor early in the year to make sure you’re still on track with your high school course plan.
  • Take advantage of any internship, externship, or shadowing opportunities your school or community offers.
  • Take a practice Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test.
  • Research ways to take on leadership roles in your extracurricular activities.
  • Put together a preliminary list of colleges you think you might want to go to. When putting together this list, consider size, diversity, location, the campus experience according to current students or alumni you know, the activities it offers and how these activities impact student life, and academic resources vs. your preferred fields of study. See Choosing the Right College.
  • Find a part-time job, volunteer opportunity, course, or camp to do over the summer. Just remember: academics should always come first. Gifted students often make great employees and some employers may take advantage of this by trying to overbook you. Always leave time for studying and relaxing, and learn now how to set boundaries and schedule your time.
  • Consider taking an advanced course in a TIP summer program, and choose a field you are very interested in to see if you might want to pursue it in college or as a career. Often, you will be able to explore a topic not taught at your high school, giving you a rare opportunity to try out an advanced subject for yourself.

Filed Under: 10th Grade

Student TIPs

Tenth grade is often the time when students take on part-time jobs over the weekend or after school to fund their discretionary expenses. If you plan to work while you go to school, keep in mind the need to set aside money for your college years and be sure to keep track of your work record and accomplishments. Many colleges look favorably on applicants who have successfully juggled work and high school obligations.

Parent TIPs

Use your contacts to identify internships, summer jobs, and other opportunities that give your student real world experience and demonstrate their commitment to an area of interest.

Help you child practice standardized tests such as the PSAT, SAT and ACT until they feel comfortable with the process.

Continue to strategize college funding and savings options.

Help your child identify leadership or other skills they do not realize they have and encouraging them to develop those skills through appropriate extracurricular activities. For example, a child who has been serving as the football team manager may possess organizational or decision-making skills that can translate well into other activities.

Start to look at potential colleges with your child, concentrating on choices that fit their academic abilities, projected budget, and areas of interest. Look for contacts that may be able to tell you and your child more about these colleges.

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