As students enter their second year of high school, we would like to impress on you the importance of a solid academic record. To determine your potential for success in college, admission offices look carefully at your early high school records, the classes you elected to take, and grades and test scores. It is also important to keep in mind that colleges are interested in well-rounded students who are involved in school and community activities and organizations. We encourage students to check out the various clubs, athletic teams and organizations and to get involved!

Sophomore year checklist:

• Evaluate your Personality, Interests and Skills
• Get involved in clubs, activities, and community service
• Challenge yourself academically
• Take the PSAT

The PSAT – taken in fall of sophomore and junior year. PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test.

The PSAT/NMSQT measures:

• critical reading skills
• math problem-solving skills
• writing skills

You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn't require you to recall specific facts from your classes. WE STRESS AS SOPHOMORES IT IS JUST PRACTICE, no grades are reported or put on the students' transcript. It is just a way to see where you are to improve weakness by the time you are ready to take the SAT. PSAT grades are given back by the guidance counselor early December.

The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are:

• to receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.
• to see how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
• to enter the competition for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (Junior Year).
• to help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
• to receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to Student Search Service.
• Scheduling- we meet with students in the spring to discuss schedules for the following year.

The sophomore year in high school is a time for students to give careful thought to what they want to do in the future. Students should start narrowing down their career options and start looking at the various post-high school facilities that offer similar educational degree programs. Career Day is scheduled every other year for the entire school. The next one will take place in spring 2008.

1. Undecided about what your career interests are? Take about 10 minutes to complete a career interest assessment at The Career Key this is a good free and short interest survey that links to the career information in the US government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. This site also has some good resources for making career and college major decisions.
2. For first-hand profiles of what people do on their jobs, check out, Job Profiles. Here, experienced workers share their motivations, basic skills and education needs, rewards, and advice for those interested in a similar career.