Sophomore year · Class of 2029

10th grade college prep checklist

Sophomore year is the last one where you can still change direction cheaply. It is the right year to sit tests that do not count, to find out which of the two college entrance tests suits you, and to notice that two of the national awards below have to be under way now if they are going to finish at all.

Tests this year

Next: PSAT/NMSQT: October 1, 2026 – October 30, 2026 · Arranged by your school

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Fall

Courses and grades

Add the first AP or honors course you are ready to carry, and check it against the four-year course plan rather than against what your friends are taking.AP Exam Prep

Tests

Sit the PSAT/NMSQT this fall as a rehearsal. Sophomores are not in the National Merit competition, so the only thing at stake is what the score report tells you about where to work.Test dates

Activities and awards

Decide now whether you are going for a Congressional Award medal: Bronze takes seven months, Silver a year, and Gold two years. A Gold that has not started by sophomore year will not finish.

Applications

Ask a teacher who knows you well what they would be able to say about you in a recommendation letter. The answer tells you which classes to be visible in.What this means

of 4 done

Spring

Courses and grades

Choose junior-year courses first and electives second. Junior year is the last full year of grades most colleges will see before they decide.What this means

Tests

Take one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT, then pick the format that suits you before you spend a year preparing for both.SAT Prep

Activities and awards

Take a role rather than a membership: run an event, hold an office, or start the thing your school does not have yet.
Keep logging volunteer hours against the ninth and tenth grade President’s Volunteer Service Award bands, and know that the thresholds more than double in the eleventh and twelfth grade band.

of 4 done

Summer

Courses and grades

If you are taking an AP course next year, read the syllabus and the opening chapters before the first week of class.AP Exam Prep

Tests

Start test preparation in the summer, when it is the only thing competing for your attention.SAT Prep

Activities and awards

Do one thing this summer that produces something you can point at — a paper, a portfolio, a competition entry, a working prototype.Honors Research Foundations

Applications

Walk around a college campus while you are travelling, even one you have no intention of applying to. It is the cheapest way to find out what you actually like.What this means

of 4 done

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This checklist was last reviewed August 18, 2026.

Other grades

Speak with a college counselor See every test date this year