• Talk to your guidance counselor (or teachers, if you don't have access to a guidance counselor) about the following:
  
  
  • Attending a college or university
  • Establishing your college preparatory classes; your schedule should consist of at least 4 college preparatory classes per year, including:
    
    
    • 4 years of English
    • 3 years of math (through algebra II or trigonometry)
    • 2 years of foreign language
    • 2 years of natural science
    • 2 years of history/social studies
    • 1 year of art
    • 1 year of electives from the above list
      
      
  • Using the Freshman Planner to keep track of your courses and grades.
  • Enrolling in algebra or geometry classes and a foreign language class for each semester (most colleges have math and foreign language requirements)
  
  Remember, you will have more options if you start planning now for college and do your best to earn good grades.
  
  
• Create a file of the following documents and notes:
  
  
  • Copies of report cards
  • Lists of awards and honors
  • Lists of school and community activities in which you are involved, including both paid and volunteer work, and descriptions of what you do
  
  
• Start thinking about the colleges you want to attend. (Hint: Use our Select a Campus module to help look for schools.) Once you have narrowed down the list of colleges and universities in which you are interested, start visiting the campuses; our Campus Tours section can also give you some valuable information.
• Find out about AP and other honors-level courses:
  
  
  • What courses are available
  • Whether or not you are eligible for the classes that you want to take