High School Preparation
Know what's important
You must be prepared for success! Here are some key tips for success in high school:
Take advantage of every opportunity to succeed.
- Get and maintain a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better
- Set a goal of a minimum score of 1100 on the SAT
- Start taking practice SAT tests on Khan Academy in 9th grade (6th grade preferably)
- Begin volunteering in your freshman year. Set a goal of 20-40 service learning/volunteer hours each year. Focus on volunteering in fields for which you plan to pursue a career.
- Set up an account on College Greenlight and begin researching scholarship requirements
- If you are a Chicago Public Schools student, set up your CPS Academic Works account beginning in your freshman year (9th grade)
- Develop a resume in 9th grade. Every semester add any accomplishments (job, awards, honors, etc.) It will help you when you need to give a teacher something from which to write a letter of recommendation.
Great Financial Aid Websites
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College Navigator: the BEST website to get accurate, up-to-date admissions, tuition/fees and enrollment dat