Freshman Year College Checklist

Confirm sophomore schedule

Confirm sophomore year schedule is finalized

Enroll in summer school

Ensure summer school enrollment if needed to get ahead or repeat courses

Prepare for final exams

Prepare thoroughly for final exams and establish study group if helpful

Ensure no failing grades

Ensure no D or F grades as these can affect UC/CSU eligibility

Research honors courses

Research honors and advanced courses available for sophomore year

Finalize course requests

Finalize sophomore year course requests

Begin course registration

Begin course registration process and request most rigorous schedule you can handle successfully

Plan sophomore courses UC/CSU

Ensure sophomore courses include Honors English math progression science with lab and continued language study

Consider first AP course

Consider first AP course if academically ready such as AP Human Geography or AP World History

Focus on final exams

Focus on final exams and finish freshman year strong

Focus on semester finish

Focus on strong finish to first semester - grades from freshman year DO count

Review progress reports

Review first progress reports and address any academic concerns immediately

Verify A-G course compliance

Verify all courses meet A-G requirements using UC Doorways database

Attend summer school

If needed attend summer school to strengthen weak subjects or get ahead

Continue community service

Continue community service and document all hours

Identify volunteer opportunities

Identify local volunteer opportunities that align with emerging interests

Begin community service

Begin community service with one organization aiming for sustained involvement not one-time events

Attend club fair

Attend club fair and activities fair - sign up for 5-10 activities to explore

Start activity tracking document

Start a document or spreadsheet to track all activities hours and roles from day one

Sustained volunteer work

Pursue sustained volunteer work aiming for same organization all summer

Research college savings

Begin researching college savings options like 529 plans if not already started

Apply to summer programs

Begin applications for competitive summer programs with February-March deadlines

Meet counselor for course selection

Meet with counselor about course selection for sophomore year

Submit summer applications

Submit applications for summer programs with March deadlines

Book summer programs

Book any summer camps or programs requiring deposits

Meet with school counselor

Meet with school counselor to confirm enrollment in college-prep courses

Set up parent portal access

Set up parent portal access for grades and attendance monitoring

Take AP exams

AP students should take AP exams as scores of 3+ demonstrate college readiness