Action Plan-11th Grade

Please review the Junior Class Checklist

Please review your junior checklist. This document is a comprehensive list of actions students should be taking in grade 11 based on their chosen pathway. This document also reviews all pertinant information a junior and their family should be aware of.

Consider the FSU Young Scholars Program for Juniors

“THE RESEARCH & PLANNING YEAR”

  • Review the Financial Aid Checklist for Juniors
  • Consider subscribing to the "Admission Beat" on Apple, Spotify, Overcast or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. New episodes air each Tuesday morning.
    • Topics include: 
      • “news you can use” to high school juniors and their families, in particular, at each step on the pathway to college. 
      • “Easing the Stress of the Search.” It includes steps that applicants and their families can take to acknowledge sources of anxiety, and thoughts on managing them.
      • “Your Campus Visit Roadmap,”
      • “Imagining Your College List,”
      • and “Taking an ‘Existential Selfie,’” which is an exercise that can reveal values and priorities, as well as guiding questions. 
      • episodes will focus on financial aid guidance for seniors as they receive admissions offers in the spring, a behind-the-scenes look at the application reading and selection process, and the experience of applying to (and attending) American colleges and universities from outside the U.S.
        • Although this podcast is produced by Dartmouth, it is not a podcast about admission to Dartmouth, it is for any grade 11 and 12 student.
  • Visit our guidance homepage for information regarding  planning for college and post-secondary endeavors, testing information (SAT,ACT, PSAT and PERT), as well as career information and assessment.
  • Sign up for your counselor’s BAND to receive important information.  Click ‘Text your counselor’ on our webpage menu. Counselor information profiles are below– scroll to find your counselor and click on the Class of 2022 BAND link.  First time users – ‘Sign Up’ at bottom of page.
  • Continue to take challenging, rigorous courses with a focus on your post-secondary plans. Challenge yourself in our honors, AP and IB Courses. Also consider Dual Enrollment courses. Universities are looking for students with high grade point averages, high SAT and/or ACT test scores. Remember, they are looking at your grades in CORE classes. Utilize the resource post under our ACT & SAT info and Registration links on the homepage, at the bottom. Make sure you are in your two years of foreign language if you plan on going directly to a university or earning the Bright Futures scholarship.
  • Students interested in DE, pay close attention to DE deadlines announced via Remind. Sign up to speak with our DE college advisor on our DE page. She can answer questions about DE programs and offer ideas and suggestions on DE courses to take based on your potential career/anticipated college major.
  • Earn good grades!!! Your GPA is important for graduation, athletic/activity eligibility, awards, scholarships, college entrance, vocational school entrance, military recruiting, and employment. Check your academic GPA (CORE classes only) on our Bright Futures page, select the "view your progress" link.
  • If you scored a level 1 of 2 on the Grade 10 FSA Reading. Begin using the Khan Academy SAT Prep online. Please use Khan SAT prep for one hour a week for the next 15 weeks and then register for the December SAT. Check the registration deadlines. If you earn a 480 on the SAT Evidenced Based Reading and Writing you have met the Reading graduation test requirement. On average with 15 hours of Khan prep, students see their scores go up atleast 100 points. Register on our homepage by clicking the SAT page. Access Khan Academy on our SAT page also. Students may also meet the reading graduation test by earning an average score on ACT Reading and English of atleast 18.
  • Visit your Skyward account continually to track your class grades.  Use your study hall time wisely – study, do homework, ask teachers for extra help!  www.khanacademy.org and www.quizlet.com are helpful online tools for studying.
  • Students will need to take and pass one course online.  The class can be completed any of the 4 years, but we do recommend students try to complete this class early in their high school career.  English, social studies and elective courses can be taken through Hernando e-school – register by going to our "Online Learning" page. 
  • Undecided about what to do in the future?  Click on ‘MyCareerShines' on our homepage to explore careers and also apply for scholarships under the "Plan for Education" tab. More info below if you scroll down.
  • Military Careers. If you are interested in going into the Military, sign up to speak with a recruiter on our Military Careers/Recruiters page.
  • Take the PSAT in October.  National Merit Scholarships based on PSAT scores can only be earned when the test is taken as a junior.  You will receive your scores 6-8 weeks after taking the test.  The results will be correlated to the score you would most likely receive on the SAT.  To practice the types of questions you will see on the test go to www.collegeboard.org.  You can receive an “SAT Question of the Day” at http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice and create a Khan Academy account.
  • Start preparing for college entrance exams by visiting www.collegeboard.org (SAT), www.act.org (ACT) or www.khanacademy.org .   Most 4-year colleges and universities require one of these exam scores for admission. These should be taken in the spring of your junior year and/or the fall of your senior year. 
  • Start researching college/university choices based on location, price, majors offered, etc. Log into your MyCareerShines account to get started. You can also research colleges and universities by phone, in person or at the end of your career assessment by using the college research tool.  Also, plan visits to prospective colleges.
  • With your MyCareerShines account , begin building a resume of school and community activities, awards, honors, and work experience. Powerpoint below. Start thinking about who you would like to write your college recommendation letters.Some people to consider: A character reference: A supervisor at a job or somewhere you have volunteered at. A teacher or coach that you have had a special relationship with, or of a class that you have excelled in.(If you are positive of who you will be asking, you can ask them at the end of your Junior year, and then remind them at the beginning of the year).  You should make your official requests no later than October 1 of your senior year.  Remember: teachers will be inundated with requests, so be kind, respectful of their time, and come prepared with all necessary information. Be to provide whomever you request to write your letter of recommendation a brag sheet, including your guidance counselor.
  • Community Service Hours: be sure you are following the procedures for Bright Futures Community Service hours. Be absolutely certain you preapprove your activity with your counselor or the hours may not count for the Bright Fututres scholarship. Students in a CTE program should look at the Gold Seal Vocational (GSV) and Gold Seal CAPE (GSC) Bright Futures Scholarships. 
  • Start planning what you would like your senior year to look like:Advanced courses? (D.E. or A.P.), reduced schedule.What will you fill your extra time with? *Make use of this time, it is the last chance you have to prove you are “college ready".
  • Be sure to link your College Board PSAT account with Khan Academy, video on how to do this is posted below.
  • Questbridge: If you’re a high-achieving student from a low-income background, the College Prep Scholars Program can give you an early advantage in the admissions process now,  in your junior year. As a College Prep Scholar, you will receive specialized support and opportunities to help you develop astrong college application that shares your unique story. You will receive the preparation you need to not only get into top colleges, but possibly attend for free. Click here for more information about Questbridge.