10th Grade
During the Fall semester, all sophomores participate in taking the PSAT/NMSQT in October. Primarily designed for juniors, the PSAT/NMSQT can help students get a preliminary look into a possible SAT score. Given that a student’s score on a standardized test (e.g. SAT or ACT) is one of the main pillars of college admissions decisions, sophomores get a snapshot of where they are on that journey.
Throughout the Fall & Spring semester, students take rigorous courses with challenging curriculum that contains a thread of SAT/ACT/PSAT/TSIA preparation.
During the Fall semester, CSA hosts a annual Financial Aid Planning night for parents, as presented by College Funding Specialists. This helps families get a head start on understanding college financial aid and planning for the future.
As the end of the Fall semester approaches and midterms loom over sophomores, students are reminded of prerequisites needed to take Pre-AP and AP courses during his/her junior year. Students are encouraged to study hard for midterm exams as it will directly affect his/her GPA & Class rank.
CSA always encourages all students that
“It’s never too early to start researching colleges & universities!”
At the beginning of the Spring semester, sophomores begin preparing for college choice by starting the CSA College Preparatory Video Series. Sophomores are encouraged to watch the 1st video - “How to Start Thinking About Choosing a College” on the College Choice section of the school’s website.
In the middle of the Spring semester, freshman are given an updated copy of his/her Personal Graduation Plan to help start the annual scheduling process for the subsequent school year. Freshmen are also given a copy of personalized Graduation Requirements to determine his/her progress toward his/her individual goals for post-secondary success. College entrance requirements are always a focus of this process to ensure that students earn necessary credits (and associated levels of those credits).
During the Spring semester, sophomores are introduced to the 2nd video in the CSA College Preparatory Video Series – “How to Research Colleges & Make a Choice” on the College Choice section of the school’s website.
The 3rd video in the series – “College Admissions Process & How to Apply” is also provided for sophomores before the end of the year, available on the College Admissions section of the school’s website.