Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, it’s never too early to start building valuable relationships with teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors. A good letter of recommendation from a teacher or an outside mentor can really strengthen your college application and make you eligible for scholarships.

Follow these simple steps to make your transition back to school successful:

Choose the right classes: don’t be afraid to challenge yourself because colleges will be more impressed by decent grades in tough courses than stellar grades in easy ones.

Ask for help when you need it: find a study-group and spend time with friends who strive to do well academically.

Get to know your teachers: small things like staying after class to ask questions will get you far. Don’t be shy, make your presence known!

When asking for letters of recommendation:

* Give your recommender at least two
weeks notice.

* Use a "brag sheet" to tell your recommender why you’re applying to a particular school/scholarship, what your past accomplishments are, and what you hope to achieve in the future will help them write you a strong letter.

* Send them a Thank You note afterwards.

By Harmony Gbe
Program Assistant, Center for Student Opportunity

my to do list: September

Freshman

Get to know your high school: visit the guidance office, the career center and the library/media center.
Pick one or two extracurricular activities that interest you and make a genuine commitment to them for the next four years.
Start your scholarship search!
student

Sophomore

Find a part-time job to prepare for a future career or volunteer for a cause you really care about.
Continue to look for scholarship opportunities.

Junior

Study for standardized tests.
Talk to your counselor about financial aid (ex: in-state vs. out-of-state tuition, grants vs. loans, etc.)
Make sure all of your graduation requirements are done/will be completed by senior year.
Continue to look for scholarship opportunities.

Senior

Ask school staff/mentors who know you well for letters of recommendation.
Plan last-minute college visits.
Keep track of deadlines for sending in all required fees and paperwork.
Continue to look for scholarship opportunities.

Refer a friend to CSO!

As Opportunity Scholars, your friends can "Connect Now" with colleges across the country. Show them how to sign-up on CSO College Center.

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Go to CSO College Center to learn more about these schools along with 230+ of our other College Partner institutions.

University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA

Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH

Ithaca College,
Ithaca, NY

Spelman College,
Atlanta, GA

College of Charleston,
Charleston, SC

Claremont McKenna College,
Claremont, CA

University of Denver,
Denver, CO

Barry University,
Miami Shores, FL

In addition to colleges, CSO College Center also spotlights fantastic community-based organizations that prepare traditionally underserved students for college success.

ACCESS
Boston, MA

Barrio Logan College Institute
San Diego, CA

College Depot
Phoenix, AZ

Bottom Line
Jamaica Plain, MA

Achieve!Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN

Learn more about these programs and find others on our Programs in Practice portal.

> For general inquiries and to learn more about Center for Student Opportunity, contact info@csopportunity.org.
As a leader and expert in college access and success for first-generation college and other traditionally underserved students, Center for Student Opportunity (CSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization bridging the divide between leading institutions of higher education and those who most need college guidance, preparation and admissions assistance.

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Center for Student Opportunity
P.O. Box 30370
Bethesda, Maryland 20824
US

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