College Prep Student: Things To Do Before February

Irvine College Admissions Consultant Tips: 4 Things Every College Prep Student Should do Before February 1st

Students are off enjoying winter break and are probably not thinking about school much at all. However, once students get back to the classroom, there are some things they should start focusing on straight away. Advanced placement students need to start preparing for exams, SAT, and ACT students need to start thinking about their test, and seniors need to start thinking about where they want to go to college based on their upcoming acceptance letters. If students leave certain chores too long, it will be harder to get everything done on time and can often cause unnecessary stress and anxiety – our private Irvine college admissions consultants have a 97% success rate.

1. College visits

Many high school students will apply to some colleges they have not had a chance to visit. Maybe they live too far away, or perhaps they were only too busy to visit the campus before sending in their application. If the student is planning to visit the campus before admissions letters come, it’s smart to do this sooner rather than later. Many students arrive on campus to find the environment is a little bit different than they thought or that the living situation is not what they expected. If students visit colleges before acceptance letters arrive in the spring, they’ll have a better chance of choosing the right fit for them within the time frame allotted.

2. Advanced placement exams

If students are taking AP exams or college entrance exams this spring, they are encouraged to start working on test prep now. January and February are often quieter times during the school year, and it’s an excellent opportunity for a student to work with a tutor on any especially difficult topics. The student should go through their old assignments as well as mark difficult chapters so they can show this to their tutor during the session. If students can work out their issues before they have to start working on SAT/ACT prep their lives will be a lot less stressful, and they’ll probably be more successful on all of their exams.

3. Meet with the classroom teacher

The winter months also offer a great opportunity for students to meet with their classroom teacher to discuss any issues that have come up so far in the year. If the student is struggling with a particular type of math problem they should meet with their teacher to discuss a strategy for improvement. If students find that their study skills are starting to slip, they should work through this before spring testing season. Winter is a less busy time of the year for teachers, so they have more time to spend with students to conference about academic issues (READ: 4 Things Every High School Freshman Should Do Know).

4. Create a strategy for success

January is also an ideal time for students to come up with a great strategy for success that will get them through the rest of the school year. April, May, and June offer students little downtime when they’re in the college prep years so it will be more difficult for them to come up with a game plan at that point. It’s a lot easier to look ahead to what will happen a couple of months down the road and determine how much study time a student will need to achieve their goals. Students should also look at their non-academic commitments and determine whether these are appropriate for the remainder of the year. Many students take on too much during spring testing season and can become overwhelmed.

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