Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first year of high school and you have an exciting future ahead of you. Your sophomore year is a good time to start thinking about where you want to go to college, and what you’ll need to do to get there. We’ve put together a list of actions you can take to start the process. 

□ Get involved with extracurricular activities. Colleges look at your participation in extracurricular activities when you apply - like sports, school clubs or community projects - and they could help you obtain scholarships.  

□Take classes that will help get you ready for college-level courses. Universities typically have credit requirements that they look for in subjects such as English, mathematics, social sciences, history and electives. Be sure to look into these so you can plan ahead. Also think about taking classes that will match up with what you want to study at college, as sometimes programs have their own set of entrance requirements. If you have questions, get in touch with us using the contact details below! We’d love to help.  

□ Start to think about the kind of career you want. Work with your school counselor to determine what courses may make sense to take in high school to get you into the college course that will put you on that path.   

□ Go to a college fair in your area. Your school counselor can help you find out about college fairs happening in your area. When you go, be prepared with the questions you want to get answers for about your college plans. Consider asking about what colleges are looking for in applicants, and about life on campus at their college.  

□ Check out testing requirements at the schools you are considering. Many schools, like Viterbo, have adopted a test-optional policy. If you are considering schools that require testing, consider taking the PSAT or preACT. Check with your counselor about registration. These prep-exams are great practice for the real thing. Taking both of these tests might seem overwhelming, but by doing both, you may find you are more suited to one test over the other.  

□ Think about what you'll do over the summer. Consider an internship, job or volunteer position, all of which can help you gain invaluable experience. These experiences can make your application to colleges stand out. 

□ Get a head start on college visits. Think about what you’ll want to see on a college tour, and questions to ask. College visits are a great opportunity to talk to students about their experience on campus and to look at on-campus housing and classrooms to help you decide if a college is the right fit for you.  To learn about visiting Viterbo, either virtually or in-person, click here.

Good luck on your sophomore year! We hope this checklist will help you as you think about your exciting future. If you have any questions about the admissions process, we’d be delighted to help. Reach us at 608-796-3010 or by email at admission@viterbo.edu.