11th Grade Annual Checklist

August

• Attend RHS Junior Readiness Day to pick up textbooks and class schedules; exact day to be determined.  Information will be sent through Parent Square.
• The first day of school, pick up class schedule in RHS Wilkins (New) Gym.  Check your schedule - do you have an English class? Math? Science? U.S. History? Electives?
• Verify the course selection for the fall semester. If college-bound, make sure you are meeting the subject A-G admission requirements. Speak with your counselor.  (A-G Requirements)
• If you are behind in credits, see your counselor to sign up for Credit Recovery.
• Sign up for PSAT even if you took it during your sophomore year. If you are a 4-year college-bound student, it is highly recommended as a diagnostic test for SAT, which is needed for entrance to virtually all 4-year colleges. In addition, the National Merit Scholarship Competition, the National Achievement, and the National Hispanic Scholars Program are opportunities determined by PSAT score during the Junior year.  The PSAT, SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement (AP) tests all offer fee waivers to students with financial need.  Check with your counselor to determine if you are eligible and receive help to obtain a fee waiver. 

                ⇒       Cost: approximately $25 – Keep your receipt!

                ⇒       PSAT Date: TBA

                ⇒       Bring to test: Picture ID, two #2 pencils, calculator

• Do you have a 504 Plan or IEP?  You may be eligible for testing accommodations for the ACT, SAT, SAT Subjects Tests, and the Advanced Placements tests.  It may take up to seven weeks for review of your request for accommodations so apply early.  You must see your counselor for help in submitting the request for accommodations.
• STAY INVOLVED!  Move into leadership positions within clubs (secretary, vice-president, treasurer, president, etc.), sports (captain), a drum major in band, and leadership roles within your extra-curriculars.  Bring new ideas, projects, programs, activities, and events to your clubs and other extra-curriculars.  Make your mark!
• Participate in one of our competition teams (Debate, Mock Trial).
• Look for community service opportunities, including RHS clubs Interact and NHS.  Check out our link here Local Job and Community Service Opportunities on the RHS website for more information. community service involvement and/or job.
• If you plan to play sports in college, contact college coaches at your target schools.  Include a schedule of your athletic events for the upcoming year.  Register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. NCAA Eligibility Center. Develop a resume of your sports accomplishments including highlight tape and relevant articles about your successes.  Meet with the RHS Athletic Director and your RHS Counselor with questions.
• Meet with college representatives who visit your high school throughout the year.
• Check out scholarships and scholarship search engines here at Scholarship Information on the RHS website.  Apply for scholarships for which you are eligible.

September

• Attend the College and Career Fair Day - TBA.
• Attend Scots University College Admissions Night - TBA
• Update your log of extra-curricular activities, awards, honors, and community service for college applications. Make Junior year count!
• Continue using Virtual Job Shadow to research careers, colleges, to determine your major for college or just to determine what education/training is needed to enter your career interest. Begin creating a list of the trade schools, colleges and universities that interest you.
• Check the daily bulletin, Scots Scoop, throughout the year for opportunities such as Boys State, Girls State, RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), speech contests, and more.
• Register and pay for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations through the ASB Office, if applicable.  Advanced Placement (AP) tests all offer fee waivers to students with financial need. Check with your counselor for more information. If you have a 504 Plan or IEP, you may be eligible for testing accommodations for the Advanced Placements tests.  You must see your counselor for help in submitting the request for accommodations.

October

• Sign up and pay to take the PSAT, TBA.
• Sign up in the College and Career Center to take the ASVAB, TBA.
• Check-in Aeries for any missing assignments.

November 

• Junior year grades are extremely important in the college admission process because they are a measure of how well a student can perform in advanced, upper-level courses. Grades are also used to determine scholarships and grants for which you may be eligible. So, put in the extra effort and keep those grades up!
• If you may be eligible for college financial aid, start researching your options. Check out the "Financial Aid" link on this website.  Begin checking out scholarship opportunities at Fastweb - national scholarship search.  Check with the RHS College and Career Center for more information and help.

December

• Continue to check in Aeries for grades and missing assignments.  Address any issues with your teachers before you head into finals.
• Begin research for specific majors, careers, trade schools, and/or colleges. Divide your schools into 3 categories: Reach Schools, Match, and Safety Schools. "Reach Schools" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores fall just short of the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores of their incoming freshmen class (check the school's "Freshmen Profile"), schools which are considered "impacted" campuses or "impacted" majors, or schools with low acceptance rates such as Stanford, many of the UC campuses, Ivy Leagues, etc.  "Match" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores compare favorably with the average of their incoming freshmen class.  "Safety Schools" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are higher than the average of their incoming freshmen class.  Check your GPA and SAT/ACT scores against the freshmen profiles of the schools you are interested in to see how your GPA and SAT/ACT scores compare.
• Fall semester ends.

January

• California State University (CSU) eligible juniors will receive a letter home concerning the Early Assessment Program (EAP), which allows students to prove proficiency in English and math.  All juniors will take the test and it will determine if placement exams can be waived for the CSU system.
• Did you check out College Board Opportunity Scholarship Program to learn how you can be eligible for a $40,000.00 scholarship?  Just complete the steps outlined on the College Board.
• If you are intending to apply to colleges besides a UC or CSU, you need to check to see if the colleges require the SAT or ACT.  If so, sign up for the SAT and the ACT spring examinations.  If you are not sure if your college or university requires the ACT or ACT with Writing, take the ACT with Writing.  If you are not sure if your college or university requires the SAT or the SAT with Essay, take the SAT with Essay. It is recommended students take the SAT and/or ACT at least twice as studies have shown test scores usually increase.  SAT Test Registration - College Board.  ACT Test Registration.
• If you are intending to apply to colleges besides a UC or CSU, check with the individual college for its SAT or ACT requirements.  While not all colleges require the SAT Subject tests, many competitive schools do. Check with individual colleges and your interested major to determine any specific requirements.  If applicable, sign up online for SAT subject tests at College Board. Suggestion: take an SAT subject test after you have completed a particular course, i.e. take U.S. History SAT Subject Test after completing RHS World History, take Biology SAT Subject Test after taking RHS Advanced Placement Biology, etc. Example:  if you are interested in an Engineering major, check the Engineering Department of the colleges and check which SAT Subject Tests, if any, are required.  TIP:  if a college or university states that "SAT Subject Tests are not required but recommended," then take two SAT Subject Tests.
• The SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement (AP) tests all offer fee waivers to students with financial need.  Check with your counselor to determine if you are eligible and receive help to obtain a fee waiver. 
• Do you have a 504 Plan or IEP?  You may be eligible for testing accommodations for the ACT, SAT, SAT Subjects Tests, and the Advanced Placements tests.  It may take up to seven weeks for review of your request for accommodations so apply early.  You must see your counselor for help in submitting the request for accommodations.
• Begin checking out summer programs and opportunities, with their application deadlines, here at Summer Opportunities and Programs on the RHS website.
• If you plan to play sports in college, register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.  Develop a resume of your sports accomplishments including a highlight tape and relevant articles about your success.

February

• Stay on top of all assignments to keep grades up.
• Check with the College and Career Center, the RHS website, your counselor, college websites, and the internet for scholarship opportunities.
• Class registration for Senior Year opens.  Pick challenging classes. Are you meeting the A-G requirements?  Ask your counselor if you have questions.  (A-G Requirements)

March

• Check Aeries for grades and missing assignments.  

April

• Possibly take the ACT for the first time.  If you are not sure if your college or university requires the ACT or ACT with Writing, take the ACT with Writing.
• Possibly take the SAT for the first time.  If you are not sure if your college or university requires the SAT or the SAT with Essay, take the SAT with Essay.
• Attend a college fair. The National Association of College Admissions Counselors offers two in our area. See their website National College Fairs for more information. 
• Complete reviewing and applying to summer programs and opportunities.  Resources here at Summer Opportunities and Programs on the RHS website.
• If you plan to play sports in college, contact college coaches at your target schools.  Include a schedule of your athletic events for the upcoming year.  Make sure you registered with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.  Develop a resume of your sports accomplishments including a highlight tape and relevant articles about your success.

May

• Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams if applicable. Students in AP classes prepare for these subject-oriented exams during the entire school year.
• All Juniors will be taking the Smarter Balance Summative Assessment which will translate to their CAASPP results. All students participate in the Early Assessment Program (EAP) via these results. The EAP serves as an indicator of readiness for college-level coursework in English and Math, and is used by the California State University and participating California Community Colleges systems.  See "CSU Pathway to College Readiness" below.
• Continue to check in Aeries for grades and missing assignments.  Address any issues with your teachers before you head into finals.
• Have you signed up for SAT Subject Tests, if applicable?  Remember that students with financial need may be eligible for fee waivers.  Check with your counselor to determine eligibility and receive help to obtain a fee waiver.

June

• SAT Subject tests are held.  While not all colleges require the SAT Subject tests, many competitive schools do. Check with individual colleges and your interested major to determine any specific requirements.  Reminder:  UC and CSU do not require SAT or ACT for admissions.

Summer Break - some of these ideas need to be addressed as early as January for implementation during summer.

• Continue to use Virtual Job Shadow for career and college exploration.  The College Board has a college and career search here at Big Future.  The Common Application also has a college search here at Common App: Explore Colleges.
• Focus on researching specific majors, careers and/or colleges. Start or continue your list of colleges and universities you are interested in applying.  Divide your schools into 3 categories: Reach Schools, Match Schools, and Safety Schools. "Reach Schools" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores fall just short of the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores of their incoming freshmen class (check the school's "Freshmen Profile" or "Freshmen Data" for information) (UC Freshmen Data here at UC Freshmen Data Profiles), schools which are considered "impacted" campuses or "impacted" majors, or schools with low acceptance rates such as Stanford, many of the UC campuses, Ivy Leagues, etc.  "Match" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores compare favorably with the average of their incoming freshmen class.  "Safety Schools" are those schools where your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are higher than the average of their incoming freshmen class.  Check your GPA and SAT/ACT scores against the freshmen profiles of the schools you are interested in to see how your GPA and SAT/ACT scores compare.
• Visit the colleges in which you are interested! Take a tour, talk to students on campus and talk with admission representatives.  Do they have the major you want?  
• Cannot physically visit a college campus?  Then take a virtual tour.
  • Campus Tours – offers virtual college tours and interactive college maps.
  • eCampusTours – offers virtual tours of over 1,300 college campuses.
  • youniversitytv – offers video tours of most major colleges and universities in the U.S.
• Explore your interests AND earn college credit by taking an online class through a local community college, a four-year university, or take a class at the University of California, Riverside through their High School Summer Academy. UCR High School Summer Program         Summer Opportunities and Programs
• Possibly take a class at a local community college, get an internship, do community service or work at a job in a field that interests you.
• Practice online for the SAT to take the test in the fall.  The College Board has free practice tests and resources.  College Board
• Check out College Board Opportunity Scholarship Program to learn how you can be eligible for a $40,000.00 scholarship.  Just complete the steps outlined on the College Board.
• Make up any deficiencies you may have in your graduation or college requirements.  See your counselor.
• Start developing portfolios, audition tapes/videos, writing samples, scripts, resumes, or other materials for college admission if you intend to pursue a major with these types of requirements (such as a BFA Music, Art, Film, Dance, etc).
• Develop a list of positive words and character traits to describe yourself.  Many college essays or short answer will ask "describe yourself" type of questions.
• Review college and university applications, especially the essays and the UC Personal Insight Questions.  Begin writing the essays, personal statements, responses to the UC Personal Insight Questions, etc.  DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOUR BUSY SENIOR YEAR BEGINS!
• Check out scholarships and scholarship search engines here at Scholarship Information on the RHS website.  Apply for scholarships for which you are eligible.
• Explore study exchange programs such as Rotary Youth Exchange.
• Check out academic competitions at:
  • John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Academic Competitions
  • Davidson Gifted Database
  • College Transitions: Competitions and Contests
  • or just Google search "academic competitions" to find more.