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Course selection, grades, and academic planning
Focus on final exams
Focus on final exams and finish freshman year strong
Attend summer school
If needed attend summer school to strengthen weak subjects or get ahead
Prepare for final exams
Prepare thoroughly for final exams and establish study group if helpful
Continue academic performance
Continue strong academic performance through spring
Establish study routine
Establish consistent study schedule and homework routine
Understand UC GPA calculation
Understand UC GPA calculation: A-G courses from summer after 9th through 11th grade are counted
Confirm sophomore schedule
Confirm sophomore year schedule is finalized
Summer reading
Consider summer reading in areas of interest
Begin course registration
Begin course registration process and request most rigorous schedule you can handle successfully
Consider first AP course
Consider first AP course if academically ready such as AP Human Geography or AP World History
Maintain academic performance
Maintain strong academic performance as GPA matters
Review A-G progress
Review progress toward A-G requirements with counselor if concerned
Verify A-G course compliance
Verify all courses meet A-G requirements using UC Doorways database
Focus on semester finish
Focus on strong finish to first semester - grades from freshman year DO count
Seek extra help
Seek extra help in any challenging subjects
Finalize course requests
Finalize sophomore year course requests
Start second semester strong
Start second semester strong and analyze what worked or didn't work first semester
Research honors courses
Research honors and advanced courses available for sophomore year
Enroll in summer school
Ensure summer school enrollment if needed to get ahead or repeat courses
Plan sophomore courses UC/CSU
Ensure sophomore courses include Honors English math progression science with lab and continued language study
Review progress reports
Review first progress reports and address any academic concerns immediately
Develop teacher relationships
Develop relationships with teachers by participating in class and attending office hours
Consider tutoring
Consider tutoring or extra help if struggling in any subject
Ensure no failing grades
Ensure no D or F grades as these can affect UC/CSU eligibility
Review A-G requirements
Review A-G requirements and plan course sequence through senior year
Review semester grades
Review first semester grades and identify areas for improvement
Prepare for finals
Begin preparing for final exams
Extracurriculars, leadership, and community involvement
Start activity tracking document
Start a document or spreadsheet to track all activities hours and roles from day one
Consider summer job
Consider summer job as it shows responsibility and time management
Explore passion project
Begin exploring a passion project in coding writing research or art
Attend activities consistently
Commit to attending meetings and practices consistently for activities you joined
Update activity tracking
Update activity tracking document with hours and descriptions
Attend end-of-year events
Attend end-of-year banquets and award ceremonies
Sustained volunteer work
Pursue sustained volunteer work aiming for same organization all summer
Try diverse activities
Try activities across different categories: academic clubs sports arts and service organizations
Identify volunteer opportunities
Identify local volunteer opportunities that align with emerging interests
Continue community service
Continue community service and document all hours
Update activity log
Update activity log with final hours and achievements
Update summer activities
Update activity tracking document with summer activities
Update activity documentation
Update activity documentation
Reflect on activities
Reflect on which activities brought genuine enjoyment
Attend sports tryouts
If interested in sports attend tryouts for spring sports or prepare for fall tryouts
Begin community service
Begin community service with one organization aiming for sustained involvement not one-time events
Explore spike areas
Start exploring potential spike areas - what genuinely excites you
Run for leadership positions
Consider running for minor leadership positions in clubs
Explore passion projects
Explore passion project ideas - what problem do you want to solve
Narrow activity list
Narrow initial activity list - drop activities you don't enjoy and increase commitment to favorites
Continue sport training
Continue sport training if pursuing athletics
Identify leadership opportunities
Identify leadership development opportunities within current activities
Attend interest camp
Attend camp or program in area of genuine interest
Attend club fair
Attend club fair and activities fair - sign up for 5-10 activities to explore
FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarships
College research, visits, and strategic planning
Set up organizational system
Set up organizational system (planner or digital calendar) for tracking assignments and deadlines
Begin college conversations
Begin casual conversations about college expectations as a family
Create College Board account
Create College Board account at collegeboard.org for use throughout high school
Request award copies
Request copies of any awards or recognition to save for college applications
Research summer programs
Research summer programs and opportunities
Book summer programs
Book any summer camps or programs requiring deposits
Apply to summer programs
Begin applications for competitive summer programs with February-March deadlines
Set up parent portal access
Set up parent portal access for grades and attendance monitoring
Meet counselor for course selection
Meet with counselor about course selection for sophomore year
Research summer options
Research summer options including local volunteering jobs camps and sports intensives
Reflect on freshman year
Reflect on freshman year and what you want to focus on sophomore year
Meet with school counselor
Meet with school counselor to confirm enrollment in college-prep courses
Research summer opportunities
Research summer opportunities for after freshman year including camps programs and jobs
Submit summer applications
Submit applications for summer programs with March deadlines
Attend Back-to-School Night
Attend Back-to-School Night to meet teachers and counselors
Confirm summer commitments
Confirm summer volunteer or job commitments
Thank teachers
Thank teachers and mentors who helped you this year
SAT, ACT, PSAT, and AP exam preparation
Take AP exams
AP students should take AP exams as scores of 3+ demonstrate college readiness
Take PSAT 8/9
Take PSAT 8/9 if offered at your school - diagnostic only and doesn't count for National Merit
Begin test prep early
Begin standardized test prep if academically advanced - optional as most start sophomore year