Taking Advantage of Your Sophomore Year of High School

Hello to all rising sophomores from the Admissions Office of Drexel University!

Congratulations on moving from your first-year status to that of a returning student. You have successfully made the sometimes-challenging move from middle school or junior high to the big time...high school. You may still feel new to your high school, but you already have a lot of knowledge and experience to navigate high school to build upon.

Sophomore year is a great time to start looking around for new experiences; try a new club, a new sport, or get a part-time job for some extra cash and responsibilities. By the way, this is not the only year you can do so — as you get more confident in school, you can continue seeking new activities or adding electives you find interesting or valuable.

As far as planning for college, DON'T worry if you do not know what you want to do yet. It is common for students to change majors — many colleges offer undecided, undeclared, or exploratory majors for first-year students who want to start their collegiate experience but are not sure where to focus their energies.

There is no perfect approach, but knowledge is power, and the college search and application process are a fantastic chance to take the lead on the next chapter of your life.

For those of you who are more certain about what industry or work you want to do after college, kudos! But there still is research to be done, as there most likely will be multiple schools to consider.

Finding colleges that may be a good fit can be tough; there are over four thousand in the U.S. alone. Some practical steps could be to look around your own world: is there anyone you know whose career you find interesting? Are they happy in their work? Ask them what they do, what education was required for this work, and if they see growth in their industry. If your school offers any college planning events...GO! This is a great time to start talking to your school or college counselor if they meet with sophomores.

A casual visit to a college or university, maybe along with an older sibling, cousin, or friend, can offer you a chance to get the vibe of a school. During your visit, take some quick notes on your phone — how did you feel at that school? Would you like to learn more? Take note of the things that matter to you.

Most importantly, you know yourself. For some students, early planning is just not their thing; while for others, it is a way of life. There is no perfect approach, but knowledge is power, and the college search and application process are a fantastic chance to take the lead on the next chapter of your life. If you are a super planner, great: I have been astounded at times by students who have obviously invested time in researching career fields, the application process, or Drexel University. If you are more on the laid-back side, you can still look around and do a campus visit...maybe there's a college nearby where your family will be on your next vacation. Or, if there is a college that sounds interesting to you and they are coming to your high school for a visit or attending a fair in your area, go and ask questions. As admissions representatives, our role is to answer your questions and help you find the school at which you will be happy and successful as a student and a person.

Some final notes: As a sophomore, you are still early enough in your education that if you have any issues with grades, you can make a comeback. If you did not really engage much in ninth grade, that's okay! You can still do so going forward. Additionally, now is the time to start thinking about standardized testing, for example, the SAT or the ACT. Colleges and universities each have their own policies about standardized testing — some, including Drexel, are test-optional, allowing students to decide whether to submit their standardized test scores or not. To get a sense for these standardized tests, consider taking the practice versions, such as the PSAT or the PreACT. Your performance on these practice exams may give insight into how you would do on the actual examinations. If a college requires you to submit your scores and you do not do well on the practice exams, you have time to improve! The practice exam results are typically not submitted to colleges. The PSAT, however, can be reviewed for National Merit Scholarship opportunities.

At Drexel, the Admissions team reviews applications holistically, meaning we consider all information shared in the application when rendering our decisions. We want to learn your story as a student and as a person. A wonderful part of reading applications is that we get to see how students grow from year to year, based on the application information — you may be amazed at how you may change and grow from your sophomore year to your senior year.

But for now, I wish you luck and hope you thrive in 10th grade!