Freshman Year -
Welcome to La Jolla High! The purpose of even putting a "college planning" page for freshmen is to provide a bit of information - NOT to stress you out as you begin your high school career!
KEEP AN OPEN MIND: It is WAY too early for you to be certain of your interests in terms of where you want to go to college and what you want to study. The danger of thinking about it too much now is that you have probably only heard of a few schools and if you fixate on only names you know, you will miss the gems and value colleges you should consider and maybe eventually add to your list.
GET INVOLVED: What is it NOT too early for, is for you to identify clubs and activities you might like and try them out. There are clubs to satisfy every interest as well as theater productions, sports, student government - to name a few.
Talk to your LINK CREW contact and listen to the Bulletin for announcements regarding "Club Day" or to learn when you can sign up to run for an ASB office. That is one thing you definitely want to do in high school - get involved. Find things you truly enjoy doing and pursue those - not because "they look good on a college application" but because you truly like doing it!
GET ORGANIZED: LJHS Counselors will provide information in small steps regarding the use of Xello - the software program we use to help students stay organized, explore interests, and examine possible careers and eventually search for colleges. So, in your freshman year, you can start your resume (they'll show you how) - even if you have relatively little to put on it. As you participate in activities or earn awards, add them. If you wait until fall of your senior year when you need your resume, you will have forgotten when you had that job, or won that award.
DO YOUR BEST: The only thing you REALLY have to know as a freshman is to do your best! Freshman grades count towards your GPA and colleges will ask for them when you apply. With this COVID fall, it will be far from a normal school start, so be flexible and try to roll with things as they come!