Freshmen & Sophomores
These first two years of high school are very important because this will impact which academic track you take at Rancho Christian. All freshmen will begin on what is called the accelerated track. During your sophomore year, we will begin to narrow down which track you will take based on performance combined with the students and parents individual choice. Keep in mind that colleges can now see and access your grades, so do your personal best! You will also have the opportunity to take some practice standardized tests during your first two years; this will help prepare you for the real thing. You will also take some assessment tests to aid you in choosing some potential future careers.
This is also a good time to further develop your own personal interests such as sports, drama, ASB or other healthy– extracurricular activities. We want our students to explore all aspects that Rancho Christian has to offer and explore their varied interests.
Researching
Colleges spend a great deal of time and money in putting together Web pages and brochures that convey life on their campuses. When you start receiving materials from colleges you’ll read them in great detail, but after awhile you’ll probably starting glancing at the name and little more. The key is to strike a balance between reading everything and reading nothing. Consider setting up three boxes to file your materials: Definitely Interested, Maybe Interested and Probably Not Interested. Once a week go through the materials that arrived and glance/read through them, filing each as you go. Or do it every day; just don’t let them all pile up until it’s too large a pile to manage!
Use other resources in addition to the materials the colleges produce. College counselors, teachers, and Rancho Christian alumni currently attending schools are all great sources. Read guidebooks, both purely factual and subjective, and if ever possible visit during summer trips.
