You Asked: What Should Students Be Focused on Right Now?

You have questions—we have the answers.
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Parents looking to prepare their children for an uncertain educational future this coming year are asking what their kids need to focus on in the coming months and once school starts.

​Here are our top tips for each grade level to make sure everyone gets their 2020-2021 school year started right.

Seniors

The Class of 2021 has so many uncertainties to face right now. We recommend focusing on applications and GPA.
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• The multi-school applications become available on August 1, starting the clock on fall and winter deadlines. Getting your application in order before school starts will help you focus on academics as much as possible this fall.
• Develop a master calendar with all of your application deadlines so you can stay on track as things get busy this fall. Do not forget to add scholarship and financial aid deadlines as well.
• With most schools using pass/fail or credit only marks for spring grading, seniors need to demonstrate continued academic success or improvement during their fall semester, meaning good grades should be a key focus.
• Embrace test-optional if you do not have admissions scores yet. We feel strongly that schools, at least this year, will truly accept students who cannot or who chose not to provide a score. If you do have a score and chose not to submit it, be aware the school may ask for it after you have been accepted for use in their internal data.

Juniors

The Class of 2022 will benefit from the adjustments now being made to schools and college admissions. We feel test scores will actually be very important for this class as there will be limited ways to standout with curtailed extra-curricular activities and spotty grading possible for the next 12 months.
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• Spend some time refreshing any weak areas from your spring semester of math. You want to be comfortable with your Algebra I & II concepts before taking your admissions tests.
• If they have not already done so, rising juniors should take their SAT and ACT diagnostic tests this summer to determine which test is best for their application.
• Once the best test has been identified, look at the expanded test calendar and register for two dates, one upcoming and one a few weeks later. That way, if your first date cancels, you have another ready to go.
• Plan on beginning any test prep 6-8 weeks before your first test date.
• If you are able to take 2 tests in the fall, you can focus on college application pre-work during the spring. You will also have time to increase your score with additional prep and testing if necessary.
• While many schools are including the Class of 2022 in their temporary test-optional policies, we expect admissions staff to be less lenient to this year’s juniors than last with regard to missing test scores.
• Have the college cost discussion within your family so you start your college search focused on schools you can really afford.

Sophomores

The Class of 2023 may face a very different college admissions landscape in 12 months. We encourage students to focus on fundamentals right now while the new normal is worked out.
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• Students should be comfortable with core math, reading, and writing skills by sophomore year. If a student feels weak, now is the time to address the weakness. Good grades in more advanced high school courses are not possible if a student is struggling with the basics.
• Students who suffered a rough transition to high school also need to focus on a successful sophomore fall semester to demonstrate they are on track for later learning.

Freshmen

The Class of 2024 enters high school at a severe disadvantage since most students are starting at new schools where they do not know the faculty, administrators, or culture. We feel study and organizational skills are going to be critical for these students as they learn to navigate a new school and increased workloads while trying to grow into their new school.
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• Help your student by providing them the tools to get and stay organized and then regularly checking at the start of school to make sure they are staying on course.
• Teach short and long-term planning for assignments and extra-curricular activities. You can practice these skills by asking the student to help with the family planning and activities.
• Plan their routine now so they can get started off right. We recommend transitioning back to a “school” schedule a few weeks before school starts in August, so the change is not so rough, especially for freshmen who will be managing so many new variables in their learning this fall.
• Spend some time researching the new school and teachers so the student is more familiar with their new environment before classes begin.

Need Help?

We have experts ready to help your student through all phases of their academic career, from tutoring, to study skills, to test prep, to college counseling.

​Contact us today to discuss how we can help get your student started off right this fall.