7 Ways to Make the Most of 10th Grade Spring

As a 10th grader, you have some time before you need to start actively applying to colleges. However, the spring of your 10th grade year is a good time to start preparing for the college application process. Here are a few things you can do:

Start exploring your options: Use this time to start exploring different colleges and universities that interest you. Consider factors such as location, size, academic programs, and extracurricular opportunities. There is no need visit tons of campuses, but start to get well versed in the lingo of research university, liberal arts college, general education requirements, Greek life etc., will help ease the learning curve later.
Focus on your grades: Your grades are a crucial factor in the college admissions process, so it's important to focus on your studies and maintain good grades. It’s an important year to solidify study skills, you will likely have a very challenging year in 11th grade, so now is the time to sure up areas you find challenging, either in content or related to executive functioning (organization, time management, essay writing, etc.).

There is no hidden agenda or secret list of extra-curricular activities you *have* to do in order to be accepted by any particular college. It’s also impossible to imitate the successes of previous applicants: don’t run to pick-up the tuba because you heard “that’s what I got so-and-so into X University.” It just doesn’t work that way.

More than anything, how you spend your time is a clear demonstration of what you value and care about, and what you’ll bring to a campus. Your activities and time spent outside the classroom should be authentic and genuine and reflect your real interests and passions. Colleges can sniff out when students are merely getting involved to pad their resume but then can’t piece together the why and the how an activity fits into your overall self-narrative.