College Planning Tips for High School Sophomores

Welcome to your sophomore year! You made it through your first year of high school, and that is worth celebrating. Snag yourself an extra cookie and dance to your favorite playlist.

Now that you’re in tenth grade, it’s time to think more seriously about your future — especially if you’re headed to college. This article gathers tips for success this year. Here’s a quick summary:

To prepare for college, high school sophomores should meet with their guidance counselor, maintain good grades, explore career interests, and consider taking the PSAT and PreACT.

Let’s dive in!

Meet With Your Counselor

Tenth grade is “a really critical year to be meeting with your school counselor for planning and for advising,” says Cindy Topdemir, coordinator of the Counselor Education Program at the University of South Florida, licensed mental health counselor, and certified school counselor.

Your college and career counselor can help you figure out what you want to do with your life and how to get there. Think of them as your coach through every step of this journey — from finding your passions to coping with stress.

What Should I Talk About with My High School Counselor?

Set regular meetings with your counselor to stay on track. Talk to them about your interests, career goals, and any concerns. “The more your counselor knows about you, the better they can guide you,” explains our article on making the most of your counselor’s advice.

Another article exploring questions to ask your college counselor offers helpful examples, including:

• What classes do I need to take for college admission?
• What electives should I sign up for?
• How can I start planning for life after high school?
• How can I explore majors and careers?
• How can I maintain good grades?
• How can I earn college credit in high school?
• What scholarship opportunities should I apply for now?
• Can you set me up with volunteer work or job shadowing in a field I’m interested in?

Think About Your Future Job

In sophomore year, the most important thing you can do is think about your potential career, says Ann Griffin, department head for Riverview High School’s College and Career Counseling. “That career exploration is major because the sooner [you] figure that out … you can plan your electives and your core academic classes based off of what your future plans are.”

Your career interests will help your counselor advise you on the level of education you’ll need. Not every career requires a traditional four-year college degree. A vocational program or a community college might be alternatives worth considering.

What if I Don’t Know What I Wanna Do with My Life?

It’s totally okay if you don’t know what you want to do with your life yet! Figuring that out is what this year is all about.

• Talk to your counselor about what you enjoy doing in your free time, Griffin suggests. Do you pick up a book or a paintbrush? Do you work on your mom’s car or the computer? These hobbies might translate into a career.
• Take interest surveys — like the popular XELLO — that match you to careers.
• Explore careers on ONETonline. Simply type an interest — like music — into the search box to find potential paths.

Although we’re telling you to start thinking about majors and careers, that doesn’t mean you’ll be locked into anything. It’s normal to change your mind based on new experiences! Have fun and stay open this year.

Maintain Good Grades

If you’re aiming for a four-year university, a low GPA can make it harder to be accepted. (For reference, the average USF freshman in Fall 2025 had a GPA over 4.0.) That’s why getting good grades in sophomore year is important.

“By keeping your grades up, it just provides you more opportunities and more possible schools you can apply to,” Topdemir says. “Once your grades drop, it's very, very difficult to get them back to where they need to be.”

It’s okay if your grades weren’t great in your freshman year. You’ve got time to bring them up, and colleges like to see that you’ve improved over time.

If your grades are already solid, challenge yourself to take more advanced courses like Honors or AP this year. “Universities would rather see Bs in really, really difficult AP classes than As in just general ed classes,” Topdemir says.

How Can I Get Better Grades?

Follow these tips to improve your grades, but make sure you’re also getting personalized advice from your teachers and counselors.

• Learn study skills.
• Avoid multitasking and focus on one thing at a time.
• Practice good time management so you aren’t rushing to complete assignments.
• Don’t skip classes.
• Ask your teachers questions to make sure you understand the material.
• Get tutoring help if it’s available.
• Talk to your counselor about whether you may qualify for an individualized education plan (IEP).

Take Standardized Tests

In 10th grade, you should take the PSAT/NMSQT, which corresponds to the SAT, and the PreACT, which corresponds to the ACT. Taking both tests will help you decide which college entrance exam you prefer. The SAT and ACT are equally respected, but students usually have a preference.

“While the [SAT and ACT] exam content is similar, how it’s structured is different. Naturally, students — based on their specific learning and testing style — are going to score better on one versus the other,” according to Griffin.

Study for these tests using practice exams and free prep guides. “Make sure that when you take any of these practice tests at home, you follow the same time guidelines as the real tests,” we advise in our article on the SAT and ACT. “Doing this helps you learn how to manage your time in each section.”

Your PSAT and PreACT scores won’t be reported to colleges, and they don’t affect your high school GPA. You still want to do your best, though, because your PSAT/NMSQT score may qualify you to be a National Merit Scholar (and it’s impossible to qualify without taking it). Get in the practice now because your PSAT score in 11th grade is what qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship.

Wait! I’m Not Good at Taking Tests

Test-taking is a skill you can build just like anything else. The more practice exams you do, the better you’ll perform. You can also find test-taking tips in our article on debunking ACT and SAT myths.

Once you take the actual ACT and SAT, keep in mind that many schools (like USF!) superscore results. That means you can take the tests multiple times until you’re satisfied with your score. The admissions office will only consider your best section scores.

Students with learning disabilities can also request special accommodations before taking college entrance exams.

Get Experience

This year, try your hand at everything that interests you. Sign up for that engineering club. Volunteer at the library. Shadow your aunt at her salon. Snag a part-time dog-walking job.

Real-world experience lets you test drive career fields. It also looks great on college applications.

You don’t have to stick with everything you try, so feel free to experiment! A good rule of thumb is to pick one or two activities you can commit to long-term (so you can eventually take on leadership roles) and one or two new activities that let you step outside your comfort zone.

How Can I Remember Everything I Do This Year?

Keep a “college resume” — a running list of all your clubs, jobs, and volunteer work — with reflections on each experience. That way, your senior-year self won’t have to struggle to remember exactly how dog-walking helped you build leadership skills.

If family responsibilities keep you from signing up for extracurriculars, don’t worry: you can use these on your résumé, too. Taking care of younger siblings or helping with the family business both demonstrate leadership skills. Your counselor can show you how to explain these experiences on your college applications.

Practice an Elevator Pitch

Now is also the perfect time to practice your elevator pitch, which will come in handy at college fairs, campus visits, and job interviews.

An elevator pitch is basically how you introduce yourself. “It's knowing and understanding who you are so that you know how to represent and present yourself to somebody who may not have any idea of who you are,” Griffin explains. “You're highlighting those initial qualities to garner their attention.”

How Do I Create an Elevator Pitch?

Follow this format for a standout elevator pitch:

• Your name + grade level + your high school
• 1-2 interests or skills
• Why you’re interested in this college or job

For example, you might say, “Hi, I’m Wednesday Addams (Name). I’m a sophomore at Nevermore High (Grade and High School). I write fiction in my free time and solve the occasional murder (Interests and Skills). I’m really interested in your school’s English department (Why You’re Interested).”

Start Scholarship Searches

Although you’ll be seriously applying for scholarships in junior year, you should start looking at your options now.

Even if you wait until junior year to apply, you can start fulfilling requirements in tenth grade. For example, Florida’s Bright Futures requires you to log 100 volunteer or work hours to qualify for the Academic Scholarship. You might as well knock out some of those hours while doing your career exploration!

“I would always tell kids to volunteer in a field or area that you might have a career interest in,” Topdemir advises. When her son was interested in pre-med, he volunteered at a local nursing home with his trained therapy dog.

Where Can I Find Scholarships?

Ask your counselor for scholarship opportunities that might fit you. There are tons of college scholarships specifically for high schoolers, ones that you can apply for now if you want a head start. We compiled a list of them here.

You can also browse scholarship sites:

• Scholarships.com
• Appily
• Niche
• Peterson’s

Beware scholarship scams! Never pay to access any information about scholarships, and never give out your credit card or bank number.

Explore Colleges

Tenth grade is a good time to start exploring your college options. Next year, you’ll be narrowing your list and going on official school tours, but right now, it’s about seeing what’s out there.

• Go to college fairs and chat with admissions officers.
• Explore as many local college campuses as you can. It’s a good excuse for a day trip!
• Schedule an official tour of a local college so you can get a taste of what to expect next year.
• Use virtual tours to check out schools you can’t easily visit.
• Peruse college websites.
• Dig into campus life online. Social media, the campus radio station, and the college newspaper can give you the inside scoop.

Your goal is to get a feel for which schools might be a good fit. Plus, glimpsing the freedom and excitement of college life can help you stay motivated through a sometimes-challenging process.

How Can I Get the Most out of a College Visit?

Make the most of your visit by immersing yourself in college life!

• Check out the campus’ self-guided tour if you’d rather explore by yourself.
• Sign up for an official tour led by a student guide to get a deeper look at university life. (Register in advance for this one!)
• Make an appointment to sit in on a class that interests you.
• Sample dining options: Stop by a sidewalk cafe, snag a slice of pizza at the food court, or score a Starbucks drink.
• Chat with an admissions officer for tips on college prep. (USF welcomes walk-in appointments!)
• Peek into the recreation center and imagine yourself enjoying the amenities.

Prioritize Your Mental Health

When you’re balancing high school, college prep, extracurriculars, and social life, you’re bound to feel stressed. Remember that your counselor is here to help you thrive mentally and emotionally, too.

“If you’ve just started to feel anxious recently, you’re starting to feel a little sad, go to your school counselor,” Topdemir advises. “You don’t have to wait until something becomes a major problem or it’s impacted your grades or it’s impacted your friendships.”

Be flexible with yourself and stay open to all the paths that can get you to your goal. When it comes to higher education, “there is no bad choice,” as we explain in our post on the differences between colleges, universities, and vocational programs. Talk to your counselor about the best fit for you, including trade schools or community college pathway programs.

What Other Resources Can Help My Mental Health?

If you’re distressed right now, you can contact one of these hotlines:

• The national 988 hotline, which is free, confidential, and available 24/7 to anyone in the U.S.
• The crisis text line. Text “home” to 741-741 to start a chat conversation.

Make sure to build in time for self-care, too:

• Exercise for 60 minutes every day

• Get eight to nine hours of sleep a night.

• Eat plenty of fruits and veggies

• Take care of your mind through meditation, journaling, yoga, or talking with a counselor.

• Learn interpersonal skills that help you make friends, resolve conflicts, and ask for what you need.
• Spend time with people who care about you.