September 2024 Checklists

Establishing your fall semester presence.

September marks the beginning of a new school year, filled with opportunities and potential! How you and your students approach this time will likely shape the next nine months. Students should enter September with a proactive mindset, ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities. It's a time to set clear goals, get involved in activities that align with their passions, and establish a strong foundation for the school year ahead.

At a glance… 

Upcoming ACT deadlines:

• 9/14 test

• 9/20 registration deadline for 10/26 test

Upcoming SAT deadlines:

• 9/20 registration deadline for 10/5 test

Other:

• Step into my office! AMA for ALL subscribers is Thursday, September 5th from 2:00-3:00 PM EST. Join us here!

• PSAT/NMSQT: This test isn’t just good practice for the SAT! The dates are (most likely) Saturday, October 12, 2024, or Saturday, October 26, 2024 - check to see if your school offers this!

• Upcoming webinar on the Common App Activities and Additional Info sections: Tuesday, September 10th at 3:00 PM EST. Register for our free webinar now!

Critical topics:

• Attend club fairs

• Pave the way for strong grades

• Finalize EA/ED plans

9th graders

If you’re a rising freshman, then your jobs this month are:

• Start off strong with good grades. Developing good habits begins with your first assignment. Make schoolwork a priority over your new extracurricular activities, and commit to building strong study habits.

• Attend your school’s club fair. It's the perfect opportunity to explore the wide range of activities available. Discover clubs that seem new and exciting, beneficial for college, or simply fun. Gather information on a few that catch your interest.

• Assess the difficulty of your classes honestly. Are you in the right courses? If something seemed like a good fit but now feels off, talk to your teachers, be honest with yourself, and avoid taking on too much too soon.

• Get involved. Dive into the clubs that sparked your curiosity, join a sport, confidently introduce yourself, and continuously meet new people. Freshman year is all about laying a solid foundation, so aim to make yours broad, stable, and rich with experiences.

• Choose your community wisely. The people you spend the most time with can greatly influence your habits, so select your friends carefully. Be open to new connections and give yourself the chance to be pleasantly surprised. Good friends will motivate, support, care for, and share plenty of laughter together.

Parents of rising 9th graders:

• Stay attentive to potential challenges. Freshman year is often a student’s first experience at a new school, and this transition can bring various challenges, both subtle and obvious. Is your child less social than before? Are they particularly stressed by a specific class? Are they uninterested in getting involved? Keep an eye out for these signs.

• Reflect on your own 9th-grade experience. Remember how things felt new, different, challenging, awkward, and frustrating back then too.