10 of the Best New Year Resolutions for High School Students

It’s 2020!  A new year, a new decade!  There’s plenty of time to add resolutions to your list. International College Counselors has a few suggestions which can launch you into a strong college trajectory.

1. Commit to getting good grades. You’ve been working hard to get to this point for 10+ years.  You can’t win by quitting before the finish line. If you have lower grades then you’d like, improve them. An upward grade trend can make a big difference in college admissions.
2. Stop procrastinating.  We’re not sure we can tell you anything new about this that you haven’t already heard. 
3. Don’t do it all. Concentrate on a few things and excel in them. Anyone can join 10 clubs and be slightly involved in them all. Schools are looking for passionate people who show willingness to stick with something and who make an impact.    
4. Stay organized. Keep a calendar. Deadlines creep up quickly. Colleges, scholarships, federal aid, and standardized testing services are not sympathetic to excuses about missing a deadline. If a deadline is missed, so is an opportunity.  
5. Take standardized tests early. Wait too long and there won’t be enough time to retake the test. Many unexpected things can affect test scores on any given day, including anxiety, health issues, and harshly curved tests. Taking the test early will also allow time to take a test prep course, if needed.
6. Do the research. Know what the choices are when it comes to colleges. This way any coulda, shoulda, woulda regrets can be avoided. Research can be as simple as visiting a school’s website. Even better, connect to the college on social media or attend a college fair to learn more. Admissions officers often give students extra credit for interacting with them and demonstrating interest.
7. Try something new. Want a certain internship, call up an employer and ask if they have any room for an eager high school student. Want to try a new sport or activity, go ahead and try it. Students are not expected to leave high school knowing exactly what they want to do, but this is a chance to start narrowing down any interests. You’ll never know what you like – or how good you are at something – until you give it a try.
8. Be excited. Whatever college you attend, there will be new people to meet, new things to learn, and great times to be had.  And this whole college application process will be O.V.E.R. 
9. Get help. If your grades are slipping in any class, seek help from a teacher or tutor. There are many valuable resources out there. Need help choosing classes, extracurriculars, and-or finding right colleges, seek the help of your school’s college advisor or learn more about hiring an independent college advisor like one from International College Counselors. 
10. Banish the self-doubt. You know you are capable of great things.  Don’t hold yourself back!