Timeline
9th Grade
- Focus on your academics and do as well as you can in all your courses.
- Learn time management and study skills.
- Explore your extra-curricular interests. Consider joining a club, sport, theatrical production, school publication, community service project, or internship.
- Take time to meet with your teachers outside of class if you have questions or if you are curious about other areas related to the class. This shows teachers you are interested in learning the material.
- Learn to balance the demands of your academics, extra curricular interests, and social life.
- Meet with your advisor if you have questions or concerns about your academic and extra-curricular endeavors.
10th Grade
- Continue doing all of the above.
- Take the PSAT in October. Brentwood will take care of registering you for the test.
- Since all 10th graders have been assigned a college counselor, be sure to check in with him/her if you have questions or concerns.
- In the fall, you will meet with your college counselor, as a group, to review what you should be doing in the 10th grade to prepare you for the college application process.
- In the spring, you will meet individually with your college counselor to go over your curriculum for the 11th grade.
- Be sure to develop solid relationships with your teachers. You may need to ask these same teachers for a letter of recommendation during your Senior year.
- Be productive over the summer. You may consider getting a job or internship, taking courses at the college level, or engaging in community service. If you need ideas, talk to your college counselor.
11th Grade
- Continue focusing on your classes – your Junior year grades are very important for the college admissions process.
- Continue with your extracurricular activities. Be consistent, but also consider making time to explore new interests.
- Take the PSAT in October.
- In December, review the results of your PSAT and begin considering seeking standardized test preparation to help improve your scores.
- You will meet formally with your college counselor in early spring to determine your college search criteria. The college counselors encourage you to meet with them before spring if you have questions or concerns.
- Spring break is a great time to visit colleges.
- Complete your Brag Sheet. Remember that your college counselor will use your Brag Sheet in assembling your school secommendation.
- Be sure to continue developing solid relationships with your teachers.
- By the end of your Junior year, you should have taken the SAT, at least two Subject Tests, and, for some students, the ACT. Your college counselor will help you develop a testing plan.
- Attend the mandatory Case Studies Night in April.
- Be productive over the summer!
12th Grade
- Submit a completed Common Application (with the appropriate essays) on the first day of school. Once you have submitted the completed application, you will be scheduled to meet your college counselor.
- Your Senior year grades are reported to colleges, so be sure to continue working on earning the very best grades.
- Work with your college counselor through the fall as you fill out applications and finalize your college lists
- Retake your SAT, ACT, and Subject Tests as necessary.
- Meet with college representatives who visit Brentwood School.
- Complete and file applications by the end of first semester.
- Enjoy your entire Senior year!
