Why 10th Grade Is the New Starting Line for College Planning
Most families assume college planning starts in junior year, but over the years, the starting line has quietly moved up. Sophomore year is where the real groundwork for college planning happens—before test prep, before applications, and before the school calendar fills with deadlines.
As tutors, that shift affects how we guide our clients and structure our prep programs. The reality is that not deciding is deciding. Students who wait until junior year to start exploring colleges or taking the ACT® or SAT® are already behind the curve. 10th grade is now the starting line, not the warm-up.
The Shift Toward Earlier College Planning
The college admissions process used to ramp up in junior year—PSAT®s in October, test prep in spring, and college essays in the summer. Now? Families are realizing that early decision rates keep rising, course rigor carries more weight, and “test-optional” doesn’t mean “test-blind.”
That’s where tutors come in. We’re often the first professionals families turn to for guidance that connects testing, academics, and college goals. By helping our clients see the big picture in their sophomore year, we can steer them toward smarter decisions long before deadlines start piling up.
When Sophomore Clients Should Focus on College Selection: Timeline
A sophomore doesn’t need a finalized college list yet, but they should begin exploring and planning throughout the year. Here’s a realistic timeline you can use to guide them:
Fall of 10th Grade
Encourage your students to explore different types of schools: urban vs. rural, large vs. small, specialized vs. liberal arts, in-state vs. out-of-state. Have them attend a local college fair or take a virtual campus tour.
Why it matters: This helps them recognize what environments they’re drawn to before they select junior-year classes that align with their potential college majors.
Winter of 10th Grade
Work with families to create a simple planning calendar that includes PSAT® or PreACT® dates, AP registration deadlines, and local college visit opportunities.
Why it matters: It reinforces accountability early. Waiting becomes its own decision, and students lose their ability to adjust and change course, if needed, before they even realize it.
Spring of 10th Grade
Advise your students to meet with their high school counselors about junior-year courses and to start drafting a preliminary list of colleges they’d like to learn more about.
Why it matters: Many high schools finalize the next year’s course selections in spring. Students who wait until junior year to identify their college goals may find they’ve missed the chance to take the right AP or honors classes.
Summer After 10th Grade
Recommend using summer for campus visits and exploratory activities like pre-college programs, volunteer work, high school internships, or part-time jobs.
Why it matters: Students enter junior year more confident and focused, with clear goals that connect their coursework, test prep, and extracurriculars.
Why Sophomore Year Beats Junior Year for College Planning
1. Academic Planning Happens Now
Students who explore academic programs and potential majors early can choose high school classes that support those goals—STEM hopefuls take advanced math and science, aspiring writers prioritize AP Lang or creative electives.
2. Extracurricular Growth Takes Time
Leadership and impact don’t happen overnight. Starting sophomore year lets students commit to a few meaningful activities rather than scrambling senior year to “pad the résumé.”
3. Testing Timelines Align Better
Starting the college search early means families see where SAT®/ACT® scores fit into the bigger picture. Sophomore-year testing with PSAT® or PreACT® helps map out the ideal SAT®/ACT® diagnostic and test-prep window.
4. Families Can Budget Strategically
Early exploration gives families time to compare costs and financial aid packages, research scholarships, and plan for application and testing fees. Those financial conversations go smoother when they’re not happening in a panic.
5. It Reduces Stress for Everyone
When students understand the long game, test prep becomes purposeful rather than pressure-filled. Test prep can be framed as part of a holistic college-readiness plan rather than a last-minute scramble.
Talking Points To Use With Sophomore Families
When a parent says, “Isn’t sophomore year too early to think about college?”, here are three quick responses you can use:
“Early planning means flexibility.” By identifying goals now, your client can still adjust classes and extracurriculars before it’s too late.
“Testing connects to college goals.” ACT® and SAT® scores to help students define their Safety, Target, and Reach schools. Knowing the student’s aspirations helps in designing a test-prep plan that fits their academic and college goals.
“It’s about exploration, not pressure.” Sophomore year isn’t about college applications; it’s about discovery and finding direction. Starting early gives them the luxury of time to do just that before the pressure of junior year.
Helping families see sophomore year as the true starting line gives them (and us) a huge advantage of time.
By reframing test prep as part of a bigger college-planning strategy, we move from being just test-prep tutors to being trusted guides through one of the most important decisions our students will ever make for their future.
Ready to help your students plan earlier and prep smarter?
At Clear Choice, we help test-prep tutors build custom-branded programs, diagnostic tools, and resources that align with every client’s academic needs and college goals.
Let’s make your tutoring business the go-to source for expert test prep and strategic, early college planning.