College Ready

Start Preparing For College Now!

Freshman (9th)

Do well in your classes. Start building a strong GPA!
Read, read, and read! Build your vocabulary and general knowledge!
Pursue your extracurricular passions. Find one or two extracurricular activities and try to stick with them all four years! This looks great on college applications!
Visit colleges during your vacations and attend college fairs.
Take a LA Mission College course offered at Kennedy to begin your UC/CSU general education requirements!

Sophomore (10th)

Continue taking academic courses, including Honors and AP courses (if possible).
Take the PSAT in October to practice for the SAT and ACT. Study for free here (studying for the SAT will also help you prepare for the PSAT).
Continue researching favorite colleges. Think about college size, location, majors, etc.
Read books, fiction and non-fiction. Vocabulary is an important part of the SAT and ACT. Vocabulary and general knowledge are crucial to college success.
Try to find a good summer program at a college, internship, or job.
Visit colleges, attend campus rep presentations, and attend college fairs.
Keep a list of all your activities and awards. You will need this your senior year when you are applying to college!
Volunteer in the community, join student organizations and clubs and participate in school activities.

Junior (11th)

Continue taking courses that will challenge you (Honors, AP, etc.) and continue being active on campus through extracurricular activities.
Visit colleges, look at websites, talk with college representatives, and go to college fairs.
Take the PSAT in October. If you get a high score, you could be a National Merit Scholar or qualify for a scholarship. Study for free here!
Register for the SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT in April, May, or June. A good strategy is to take both the SAT and ACT junior year, determine which you like better, and then concentrate your summer studying on that one before taking it again in the fall of senior year.
Continue building your list of your activities and awards (remember, you can use Google (Google Docs) to store your list online).
Check in with Mr. Abarr to make sure that you’re meeting all your A-G courses for the UC’s and CSU’s. Don’t wait until your senior year to find out that you’re missing courses!
Things to do during Summer vacation:
Participate in summer programs at colleges, read, travel, visit colleges, get a job, and/or find an internship during the summer!
Develop a list of 6-10 favorite colleges to which you will apply in the fall (2-3 “dream” schools, 2-3 “probably”, and 2-3 “sure things”).
Begin writing your personal statement. Practice with the UC prompts.

Senior (12th)

Take a challenging course load (at least 3 academic courses) each term.
Check out scholarship opportunities at the JFKCougars.org website (click here) all year long!
If you’re a super high-achieving student, explore full-ride private scholarships like the Gates and QuestBridge.
Begin working on your private university applications in August. Check out the Common Application, which is used by most prestigious private universities but all check website for individual university applications.
Take the ACT and/or SAT in October, November, or December if you’d like a shot at improving your score!
Be sure to send your scores to the colleges to which you are applying!
Submit your CSU applications at CSU Apply and UC applications at UniversityofCalifornia.edu/apply by November 30^th!
Don’t forget to apply to private colleges. They have high price tags, but they often give full financial support (you pay little to nothing!).
Apply for financial aid early, preferably by December. The FAFSA is for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The CA Dream Act Application is for Dreamers / undocumented students. The Cal Grant deadline is March 2nd.
Apply to community colleges beginning in October and no later than March in order to qualify for the CA Promise program.
Senior College Timeline PDF Link

Step 1: Apply online. You must do this if you are a first-time college student or if you haven’t taken a course within the past year. If you already have a college ID from the past year, skip this step.

Watch the video "Applying to LAMC" here: https://www.lamission.edu/Dual-Enrollment/Video-Tutorials.aspx. About 1-3 days after you apply online, you should receive an LACCD ID number beginning with 900-. You’ll need this number for step 3. (Note: if you want to take a course at a different college such as Pierce, LAVC, or LACC, apply through that college home page. All of these are sister colleges in LACCD, and your ID is the same at all of them.)

Step 2: Choose your course (skip this step if you already know what course you want - e.g., you're taking a specific course at Kennedy).

1) Google the name of the college (LAMC, LAVC, Pierce, etc) and “schedule”. Browse the .pdf schedule file and find courses that interest you! (Note: you can get a head start on your college degree by viewing the college’s IGETC courses, which satisfy UC and CSU general ed requirements). View a college’s IGETC list by googling the name of the college and “IGETC”.

2) Now that you know the name and course number of the course you want, use the online schedule search to find sections that are open (green dot beside them). Check the course dates and course times to make sure they won’t conflict with your schedule.

Step 3: You and your parent submit the Dynamic enrollment form.

After you have an LACCD ID number, you can complete the Dynamic enrollment form. Both the student and a parent must create a Dynamic forms account. First the student will complete their Dynamic form, then the parent will receive an email link to sign the form. After the parent signs the form electronically through the parent Dynamic Forms account, Mr. Abarr will receive an electronic copy to sign. There are videos on this page with student and parent instructions for LAMC: https://www.lamission.edu/Dual-Enrollment/Video-Tutorials.aspx

Directions for Student: Submitting a Dynamic Enrollment form

Log into your LACCD portal and click on your "To-do List" (button with an exclamation point). Here's a video on logging into your portal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLIUWRYZSs8
Be sure to add Lorin Abarr and the email address LXA30192@lausd.net for your school counselor on your Dynamic Form. Otherwise, Mr. Abarr will not receive your enrollment form to sign. Our school is listed as simply "Kennedy" on the Dynamic form.
Note: your parent can create their own Dynamic forms account by googling “Dynamic forms” and clicking “Create New Account”.
IMPORTANT: Use your LACCD ID number beginning with 90- on the Dynamic form - NOT your Kennedy ID number!

Watch the second video on this page for more help: https://www.lamission.edu/Dual-Enrollment/Video-Tutorials.aspx. Here's another how-to video, this one from LA Valley College: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT3tKr4RTtU

Step 4: Enroll in the course section you want. Note: if you are taking a course at Kennedy, you can skip this step - this is only necessary if you are taking a course independently (it is not offered at Kennedy High).

After your Dynamic form processes, you'll be able to choose the class section(s) that you want (the one that meets on the days and times you like best). To do this, you will need to use the "Manage Classes" feature in your college portal. (Again, you can skip this step if you're taking a course at Kennedy.) To get to the portal, go to the college homepage and click on the "Register for Classes" button in the top right-hand corner. Note the special instructions on the login screen if you are logging in for the first time. You will need to use a special password the first time and create a new password of your choosing. After you've logged in, use this video to guide you through adding your specific class section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doLDjhQKfgc.

Step 5: Confirm that you are in your course.

Log into your college portal and select “Manage Courses” – “View Schedule”. Note the special instructions on the login screen if you are logging in for the first time. You will need to use a special password the first time and create a new password of your choosing.

Information

Earn high school and college credit (UC/CSU transferable)!
Tuition is free!
Open to all grade levels!
Strengthen your college application!

Having trouble logging into your community college portal? Contact your college IT department here.

First, try calling. If that doesn't work, you can send an email describing the issue. Be sure to include your name, birth date, and student ID if you know it, as well as a thorough description of the problem you're having.

Visit a Community College

Links

Links

Click on the following to go to individual Community College admissions websites in Los Angeles to find out more on how to visit their campus:

University Info

Colleges and Universities Regularly Visiting Kennedy

Los Angeles Pierce College: TBD

Los Angeles Mission College: TBD

Los Angeles Valley College: TBD

California State University, Northridge

Educational Talent Search Rep visits TBD.
California State University Rep visits every Tuesday from 9am-2pm

Visit a University!

California State University (CSU)

Click on the following to go to individual California State University (CSU) admissions websites to find out more on how to visit their campus

University of California (UC)

Private Universities

Out-of-State

Make sure to call ahead of time or go online to try to make an appointment for a campus tour or take a virtual tour.
Many out-of-state colleges will help cover the costs of a visit so that you can see if the college is right for you. (Keep in mind that usually you need to be a strong student (of at least a 3.0 GPA) to qualify for an out-of-state visitation program)
College Greenlight is recommended for all students considering out-of-state colleges. It maintains a great list of college visitation programs.
Several colleges from the Colleges That Change Lives list also provide visitation programs.

Summer Programs

Most of these summer programs have scholarship programs. Scholarships are usually competitive, and it helps to apply early! Follow the links to learn more.

Summer 2024 LAMC Classes

TeenLife Summer Programs Directory – This is a general directory where you can search among hundreds of different programs!

The web site PrepScholars compiled this very helpful list of summer medical and/or science research programs.

Keck Graduate Institute- Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), a member of The Claremont Colleges, offers summer programs for:

Undergraduate/recent college graduates
Postdocs/PhD students
High school students

KGI’s summer programs will boost your academic career as you prepare for graduate-level studies or a career in healthcare or biotech. These programs will not only help you decide your career pathway—but they are also a great way to gain exposure to the biotechnology, medicine, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries while improving the skills and qualifications to boost your resume.

UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program. Spend six weeks assisting a UC Santa Barbara professor or graduate student with their research! Some full and partial scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Applications Open Dec. 15th. Deadline March 18th, 2024.

EXPLORE - EXPLORE is a summer program which matches advanced and gifted 9th through 11th graders with distinguished mentors, hands-on research opportunities, and professional experience in their field of interest. DEADLINE JAN. 8th. APPLY SOON. EARLY BIRD DEADLINE DEC. 20TH. Application is currently closed.

UCLA LABOR CENTER DREAM SUMMER FELLOWSHIP. For Dreamers and resident students who support more rights for Dreamers (undocumented students). Work at a non-profit and receive leadership training. Must turn 18 by June 18th. DEADLINE: February 9th.

UC Davis Young Scholars Program. For current 10th and 11th graders interested in scientific research. Currently accepting applications for Summer 2024!

Colorado School of Mines (SUMMET Program) - The Summer Multicultural Engineering Training (SUMMET) program is an engineering, science and technology program designed for rising juniors and seniors who are from underrepresented populations, including ethnic/racial minorities, women, and prospective first-generation college students as well as students with demonstrated financial need. DEADLINE: Feb. 1st.

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program where rising high school juniors and seniors explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by Stanford professors. Deadline: Feb. 1^st

UC Cosmos 4-week residential STEM program at a UC campus for current 9th - 11th graders. Scholarships may be available. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Feb. 9th

Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Mentoring program. For current juniors and seniors. Medical mentoring and job shadowing in Los Angeles. Now accepting applications for Summer 2024 program!

Princeton Summer Journalism Program - PSJP is a free 10-day journalism program hosted at Princeton University for high-achieving, low income high school juniors. Students learn reporting from celebrated journalists and are paired with a college counselor during their senior year. All expenses, including students’ travel costs to and from Princeton, are covered. DEADLINE: Feb. 15th.

Mathcamp Mathcamp is an intensive 5-week-long summer program for mathematically talented high school students, designed to expose these students to the beauty of advanced mathematical ideas and to new ways of thinking. More than just a summer camp, Mathcamp is a vibrant community, made up of a wide variety of people who share a common love of learning and passion for mathematics. At Mathcamp, students can explore undergraduate and even graduate-level topics while building problem-solving skills that will help them in any field they choose to study. Deadline: Mar. 6th.

University of Chicago Summer Scholarship Programs:

Immersion: Through workshop discussions, research projects, and other activities, students live on campus and immerse themselves within a specific topic through three-week-long undergraduate-level courses for pre-college students designed by UChicago faculty and instructors. Course subjects include astrophysics, biotechnology, coding, data science, economics, literature, molecular engineering, political science, psychology, and more.
Summer Language Institute: Through this online program, students can learn an entire year of a language in one summer! Whether they want to continue learning a language or pick up a new one, the Summer Language Institute is a great way to delve deeply into another culture and another world and acquire a useful skill. With over 10 languages offered at varying levels, students are sure to find a language that speaks to them.
Scholarship Programs: Talented and motivated students have the opportunity to enroll in a college-level course free of charge through our scholarship programs, such as Emerging Rural Leaders, Latin American Phoenix Scholars, Neubauer Family Adelante Summer Scholars, Police & Fire Summer Scholars, the UWC Global Academy, and Woodson Summer Scholars. Our selected scholarship students will also benefit from co-curricular programming to prepare them for the highly selective admissions process. And we are excited to launch one-week non-credit Enrichment Programs that offer younger high school students the opportunity to live on campus and learn about economics, freedom of expression, leadership, or quantum physics.
Outside of the Scholarship Programs, all Summer Session students can apply for need-based financial aid. All students enrolled in Summer Session can also participate in the Admissions Academy, a series of workshops that focus on the holistic admissions process to provide insights on admissions to highly selective colleges and universities and offer essay writing tips.

The Intern Project .The Intern Project (TIP) provides deserving Los Angeles public high school 10th, 11th, and 12th graders the chance to work in dynamic career areas such as digital media, entertainment, technology, health care, and design, through paid internships of four or more weeks during the summer break. Please refer to their website for individual internship opportunities.

Carnegie Mellon's Pre-College Program the application deadline for AI4All @ Carnegie Mellon, Computer Science Scholars, Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS), and all scholarship consideration. Please note: Letter(s) of Recommendation must be received in our online application in order to submit the application. Deadline: March 1st.

Online Summer Programs from Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies is offering different Academic Enrichment Online Summer Programs. Listed are Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC), Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP), Stanford Math Circle, and Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics. Applications are open. Financial Aid is available!

Stanford Pre-Colligate Summer Institutes Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is a summer enrichment program that provides passionate and intellectually curious students currently in grades 8-11 with intensive study in a single online course. DEADLINE Mar. 29^th

Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Scholars program. Gives students in traditionally underrepresented groups an opportunity to learn about computer science. You must also submit a scholarship application to have your fees waived. DEADLINE: March 16th.

Colorado College's Pre-College Program

This summer's offerings include:

Human Kinesiology: Intro to Human Anatomy for Pre-Health Majors
Feminist & Gender Studies: Critical Race Theory and the Law
Economics: Marketing for Entrepreneurs
Art History: Art and the Museum in the 20th Century
Geology: Physical Geology of the Pikes Peak Region
English: Cross Genre Writing Workshop
Political Science: Freedom and Empire: The Drama of Ancient Politics
Sociology: Globalization and Immigration Policy
Cross Genre Writing Workshop

Our classes will be held in-person and students will live on-campus and participate in CC’s residential experience (following proper health and social distancing protocols). Now accepting applications for Summer 2024!

TryEngineering Summer Institute. Organized in two-week sessions on university campuses across the U.S., the TryEngineering Summer Institute unites students from around the world to engage in hands-on design challenges and experience the work firsthand of real-life engineers. Deadline Mar. 31st.

Boston University Pre- College Programs (Summer Term) FEB-MAY

High School Honors is a six-week residential, commuter, or online program in which students take Bostin University undergraduate courses and earn up to 8 transferable college credits. Students must be entering their junior or senior year of high school in fall 2022. DEADLINE May 24th. FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE. DEADLINE FOR FINANCIAL AID is April 12th.
Research in Science and Engineering RISE Internship/Practicum is a six-week non-credit residential or commuter program in which students conduct scientific research in a university lab under the guidance of a faculty member. Students must be entering their senior year of high school in fall 2022. DEADLINE for both APPLICATION and FINANCIAL AID is FEB 14th.

Engineering Possibilities In College (EPIC) - This is a one-week engineering summer camp for students in grades 6-11. EPIC introduces campers to the varied fields of engineering through hands-o labs taught by university professors and industry professionals. Scholarships available! DEADLINE: Mar. 31st

Black Girls Do Engineer Our organization was created with the concern that Black-American girls and young women are not choosing S.T.E.M. related careers, and our passion is to change the narrative and fix this issue. Our Los Angeles Chapter is seeking elementary, middle, and high school students to join our organization. Please view our Potential Member Applications and click on the application that best suits your daughter. DEADLINE: TBA. Keep an eye out for a March 2024 announcement for the deadline.

Computer Science Scholars @ Carnegie Mellon

Provides students who have historically been excluded in the field of computer science an opportunity to explore the field of computer science with full-time faculty, staff and researchers who are leaders in the field. (4-week program).

UCLA Summer Sessions. Offered to students of all grades in a variety of different subject areas, including science, arts, law, and writing workshops. Application window for Summer Sessions of 2024 are now open!

UCI Paul Merage school of Business a weeklong on-campus financial literacy program dedicated to helping underserved first generation 9th and 10th grade students from the Los Angeles county. Now accepting applications for Summer 2024!

The SMASH Program (UCLA) The SMASH Program is a free STEM- focused program geared toward high-achieving, high potential, economically disadvantaged, high school students who are typically underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Now accepting applications for Summer 2024!

MIT MITES program. MITES is a 6-week residential program for current juniors. The program is free except for travel expenses to Boston. Deadline during fall semester of junior year. CLICK LINK FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO SIGN UP FOR THE 2024 PROGRAM.

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