Now that your teen has adjusted to the ins and outs of high school, it’s time for sophomores to begin thinking about college. Although most of the application work won’t be done until their final two years of school, there are still a few steps students can take. From receiving tutoring for standardized test preparation to starting to build a resume and planning for their career, below is how your teen should be spending their sophomore year.

How Sophomores Can Get Ready for College

1. Discuss Career Goals

While many teens already have dream jobs in mind, some may need to consider what careers work best within their interests and skill sets. Make sure to talk to your child about what they want to do, and have them discuss their goals with their school counselor as well. This decision will have a strong impact on many of the choices they’ll need to make in the coming years.

2. Prepare for the PSAT

Whether they take the PSAT their sophomore or junior year, your teen should begin preparing for it now. Find a top-rate tutoring service to expose them to the PSAT format, practice with real questions from past tests, and work on areas needing improvement. This test will also give your child a glimpse of what the SAT and ACT will be like in terms of structure, material, and timing. 

3. Attend Extracurricular Activities

Rather than having your child come straight home after school, encourage them to join after-school music or language clubs, sports, and volunteer groups. When students apply to colleges, the activities they dedicate their time to reveal their passions, skills, and values. University admissions officers want to see what interests your child has outside of academics, and now is the time to start getting involved.

4. Create Strong Schedules

By high school, students are given the freedom to choose from a wide variety of classes. This gives them the opportunity to create schedules that work into their career goals. Once it’s time to build a schedule for their junior year, start strategizing with your teen and encourage them to choose relevant courses that will challenge them.

5. Start Planning for College

High school sophomores don’t need to have a list of top colleges set in stone just yet, but your family should begin planning for their attendance. Look into the logistics, such as tuition costs, odds of acceptance, programs, and local and long-distance schools. Start building your child’s college list and include columns for pros, cons, and additional benefits and details.

Help your sophomore keep their grades up and prepare for standardized testing with services from Peach State Tutoring & Test Prep. With clients throughout Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Cumming, Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, and Alpharetta, GA, this tutoring center provides effective and customized SAT prep, ACT prep, and academic tutoring to help transform your student’s performance. Their services include a free diagnostic SAT vs. ACT test, which informs students which test they’ll score higher on. For more information about academic tutoring, visit their website. Call (678) 824-6890 to find the right tutor for your child.