High School 4-Year Plan

High School 4-Year Plan:

(Links on this page will open in new tabs.)

9th Grade:

1. Attend ninth grade orientation and pick up class schedule.
2. Develop an understanding of:
   a. Graduation requirements
   b. Activities/sports and educational opportunities available to you
   c. College/Career program requirements
   d. Regents testing requirements
3. Join some extra-curricular activities that are of interest to you.
4. Begin developing good study skills and maintain good grades (as this information counts for college entrance depending on the college you might choose in the future).
5. Begin thinking about AP courses and courses for college credit. Possibly discuss these options with your counselor and parents.
6. Refer to the school counselor for any questions or concerns (personal, career/college, or academic) that you might have during your ninth grade year.

10th Grade:

1. Make course selections that might begin to gear you towards an occupation you are considering (if available).
2. Join some extra-curricular activities that are of interest to you (this might be more important if you have not already joined clubs in your freshman year).
3. Begin thinking about career paths and possible college choices.
4. Remember to take your school work seriously as the 10th grade year report is considered for many scholarships and college entrance requirements.
5. Think about going to college/career fairs or visit local colleges or employers to get an idea of what options might be available to you (our college fair typically occurs in October)
6. Begin preparing for your PSATs and begin thinking about SAT prep for Junior year as well.
7. Talk to your counselor about course selections for your Junior and Senior years. Be sure to plan for advanced placement and/or college courses to prepare for college and college applications. If you are planning to begin work after high school, you can also visit your counselor to plan course work to prepare for your future job (when applicable).
8. For students planning to attend CV-TEC, begin thinking about your interests in the fall so that you can choose your vocation in the spring. Check out information about CV-TEC at this link.

11th Grade:

1. Take the PSATs (usually available at the beginning of Junior Year in October).
2. Maintain membership in clubs, organizations, or sports that you are already involved in or pick up some new activities to explore your social interests.
3. If possible, take on some leadership and community service projects to develop a strong resume (and for personal enjoyment, of course).
4. Attend the SUNY Roadshow in May
5. Sign up for SAT and ACT exams. See information about test dates and sign ups at the links to the left.
6. Attend financial planning workshops (if available).
7. Begin surfing the web and looking at college catalogues to request more information on colleges of interest.
8. Begin visiting colleges that you are interested in attending in the future and talk with representatives available in the School Counseling (Guidance) office (see the guidance department website for more information on college visits).
9. Begin talking with your parents about financial aid for your college career (student loans, parent loans, work/study etc…)
10. Begin thinking about scholarship opportunities (you can check out the School Counseling website for more information on scholarships that are available at PHS).
11. Narrow your college choices down to your top five.
12. Meet with your counselor to discuss future career and/or college plans (especially if you could use some help narrowing down your college choices/career choices).
13. Attend summer school if you need to raise a grade or take college courses over the summer (Plattsburgh State or Clinton Community College) to get a head start on your college career.
14. Work-bound students should begin thinking about taking coursework that might be useful for their future career (Microsoft I, Design and Drawing etc…).
15. Before you leave for the summer, check in with your school counselor to plan your academic course load for senior year. Remember that you MUST take six and a half credits each semester, so why not plan for some advanced placement courses and courses available for college credit?

12th Grade:

1. Take or retake the SAT or the ACT if you would like to improve your score.
2. Check into requirements for colleges you are planning on applying to and Sign up for SAT subject tests if your college requires them (do this as early as possible).
3. Meet with your counselor in September and October to finalize future plans (either college bound or work bound).
   1. Activity sheet, questionnaire, and transcript evaluation will all be discussed with you by your counselor.
4. Attend college nights and college financial aid workshops where available to be sure you are set on your top choices for school and that you have a financial plan to finance your college career.
5. Begin asking teachers and administrators for references/recommendations to include with your applications (do this well in advance to give those who are giving recommendations ample time to complete them for you).
6. Be sure to have a completed and up to date resume on file with your school counselor (for college and work-bound students).
7. Write personal statement and college entrance essays.
8. Begin sending out college applications in the fall (please see a counselor for assistance with this process, if needed). Applications are due no later than December 15th to counselors for colleges with a January 1st deadline. For those colleges who have a February deadline, applications should be to counselors no later than January 15th. Also, check for early decision/early action deadlines with your specific college (if you plan to apply early decision).
9. Complete the FAFSA (financial aid application) as soon as possible. You can also get more information from your counselor.
10. At the beginning of the second semester, senior year, begin looking at scholarships available to you online through scholarship websites. It is also important to access the school counseling website to apply for local scholarships. (Some applications can be downloaded right online). Link to PHS scholarships.
11. Check your transcript with your counselor. Request that your counselor send the final transcript to your college/university (usually done in July).
12. Fill out questionnaire regarding post high school plans.
13. Work-bound students should begin looking for and applying for jobs in his/her chosen field (end of May, beginning of June). Please see the section for work-bound students on the website for more information about interview processes, job hunting, and resume building.