Sophomore year is not too early to start planning your post-high school plans. If you have not already done so, you should begin to think about what it is you would like to do after high school. Do you plan to go directly into the job market? Are you going into the military? If so, what branch might you consider? Do you plan to go to college? If so, do you think you will go to a two-year college or a four-year college? Will you stay in the Marlboro area and live at home with mom and dad or are you ready to go away from home and live on a college campus? If you are ready to go away, how far are you willing to go - 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours or cross-country?? These are all questions that you should be seriously considering. Once you have given some thought to the above questions and talked with your parents about their feelings, you are ready to do some more serious planning. If you plan to go directly into the job market, what do you want to do? You will need to make sure that you are taking the right courses throughout high school to train you for whatever occupation you plan to enter. Start to put together a resume' or list of activities that you have been involved with throughout high school. Your employer will want this information. Be sure to include summer job experience, volunteer activities and any honors or awards you have received (in addition to clubs/activities and sports you have been involved with in school AND the community). See if you can interview someone working in the field you would like to enter. This will help you learn more about the particular tasks of the job, maybe you could even spend some time shadowing that person - just to make sure you are making the right desicion for yourself. Be sure to send a thank you note to anyone who has given you time out of their busy day to help you with your "research" - who knows - that person may one day turn out to be your co- worker, or boss! If it is the military you are interested in talk to recruiters from different branches. Ask questions, get information and see if you can speak to someone currently serving in that branch (other than a recruiter). Find out if they offer paid tuition for college or trade school. Be sure not to sign anything until you are 100% sure you have made the right choice! If college is the desicion you have made start doing "college search". The internet is a tremendous resource to aid in this process. There are many websites designed to help you (many of which can be accessed through this website). Talk to your school counselor, your parents, older siblings, friends. It is not too early to attend a college fair and meet different admissions counselors. Visit college campuses. We have several campuses in this area. You can visit a college campus that you are not even interested in going to - just to get an idea of what to expect when you visit a campus you are interested in. I would suggest calling to make an appointment - many colleges have Open House dates scheduled in the fall and spring and would welcome your presence at those sessions. Be sure to visit when the college is in session so you get an accurate picture of life at that school. Ask to talk with current students, eat in the dining hall, sit in on a class (if it is allowed). The earlier you start to prepare for whatever it is you decide to do once you leave Marlboro High School, the easier your desicion will be. You will have done your research and given yourself plenty of time to think about it. You and your family can then make a wise decision, not a rushed one! "A GUIDE TO THE NEW SAT" by The College Board The new SAT: Reasoning Test was administered for the first time in March 2005 for the class of 2006, with new content and item types in math, critical reading, and writing. The new SAT includes a student written essay. The PSAT/NMSQT has always been an important resource for preparing students to take the SAT by having them become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions that they will see on the SAT. In addition, the PSAT/NMSQT score report has helped students identify their strengths and weaknesses by providing personalized feedback on their academic skills. Unlike the new SAT, however, the PSAT/NMSQT does not include an essay.