Meet with your school counselor to talk about career exploration and a course plan that will lead you to success. Find your school counselor here.
Explore extra-curricular activities, service/leadership opportunities, and clubs.
Estimate your financial aid needs using Federal Student Aid Estimator and either continue or start saving for college
Identify what kind of education and training is needed for your careers of interest.
Begin building your service resume by tracking your service and leadership hours. An easy service tracking tool we suggest is Innerview.
High School College & Career Readiness
Mapping Out Your Future
Preparing for life beyond high school is about more than the classes that you take. It’s also about developing the skills that will help you succeed in college, career, and life. Consider the following suggested opportunities and benchmarks that will keep you on track during your high school journey and prepare you for success after graduation.
Freshman Year
Sophomore Year
Meet with your school counselor to talk about course planning. Find your school counselor here.
Complete the My Skills Lab in SDMyLife.
Practice for the ACT using Methodize ACT Prep on SDMyLife.
Create a folder to begin collecting college information.
Continue your college savings plan and begin looking at cost specifics.
Focus on extra-curricular activities and leadership opportunities of interest.
Learn more about earning early college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment courses.
Review and update your community service hours on Innerview. If you haven’t started volunteering, it is important to begin. Service and Leadership experience on your resume will set you apart from others. If you haven’t registered with Innerview yet, be sure to get signed up.
Junior Year
Meet with your school counselor to talk about course planning. Find your school counselor here
Start looking at colleges and/or universities of interest that match your college, career, and life goals
Visit your colleges and/or universities of interest
Begin putting together academic resume and portfolio
Continue to seek out volunteer and leadership opportunities to strengthen your service resume or Innerview electronic service portfolio.
Seek out work-based learning opportunities.
Begin searching for scholarships
Continue your college savings plan
Continue participation in extra-curricular activities
Consider earning early college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment courses
Take the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) standardized test
Senior Year
Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate. Find your school counselor here
Consider earning early college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment courses
Ask for Letters of Recommendation early in the school year
Apply for admissions to your colleges and/or universities of choice
Participate in College Application Week
Complete the FAFSA
Apply for scholarships
Visit colleges and/or universities that you have been accepted to
Make a decision and celebrate!