From December through April, posts reading “I’M GOING TO VIRGINIA TECH!!! I’M OFFICIALLY A HOKIE :D”, “I knew you’d get in! Congrats to my best friend <3”, “JUST GOT ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA!!!”, and the like overwhelm most high school students’ Facebook News Feeds. Although juniors and sophomores may not be experiencing the same level of excitement as their senior counterparts, these messages do serve as reminders that anything and everything done in high school will impact one’s life after graduation.

In order for underclassmen to ensure that they will attend the college of their choice, it is necessary to build a well-rounded resume. One way in which sophomores can do this is to be sure to take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) next year. Registration for the upcoming PSAT/ NMSQT will be conducted by the AHS Guidance Department immediately after school beginning in August or September. Do not miss this deadline!

In the rare instance where a student already took the PSAT or SAT during his or her sophomore year, it is important that he or she retake the PSAT/ NMSQT during junior year. As the name suggests, the test dually serves as the entrance exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program and as a practice test for the impending SATs. Students who score the highest of the PSAT/NMSQT advance through the scholarship competition and receive Letters of Commendation, Semifinalist recognitions, Finalist standings, or Merit Scholarships. Merit Scholarships are of the following three types: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. Recognition at any level of the National Merit Scholarship program is a universally esteemed honor to list on future college applications and resumes.

Another way in which sophomores can strengthen their high school transcripts is by enrolling in online classes. Virtual Virginia and A. Linwood Holton Governor’s School both offer subjects not taught by teachers at Abingdon High. Both programs are popular with students as ways to take additional Advanced Placement courses and to fix gridlocked schedules. According to the guidance department, Advanced Placement Psychology is the most popular Virtual Virginia course among AHS students, and Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II is the most popular Governor’s School course among AHS students.