Can you believe it’s already 2024? We sure can’t! But while we’re ringing in a new year, students are heading back to school for the second half of their academic year. Seniors are waiting on admission decisions. Juniors may be gearing up for the SAT or ACT. A lot is going on for students at the beginning of a new calendar year. Ensure they’re prepared for it all with this month’s edition of our College Planning Calendar!
General monthly planning
- 9th grade: It can be hard for new high schoolers to get back into the swing of things second semester. Help them stay on track with these 13 Tips for Winter Break and Second Semester Success.
- 10th grade: This is when things start to get real for high school sophomores! Keep them productive and proactive with advice like How to Avoid the Sophomore Slump in High School.
- 11th grade: Juniors should be preparing to take the SAT or ACT in the coming months, and if they haven’t scheduled a date yet, they should soon. If they’re specifically taking the SAT, make sure they’re up-to-date on The 5 Most Significant Changes Coming to the SAT in 2024.
- 12th grade: Regular college admission deadlines are right around the corner! Make sure seniors have edited and completed their applications before they send them off with our blog on 11 Steps to Finalizing and Submitting Your College Apps.
Month-long observances and celebrations
- National Blood Donor Month: Donating blood saves lives! And students can save lives, volunteer, and win money for college all at once through the American Red Cross. Check out the Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program to find out how to get involved.
- National Braille Literacy Month: Braille literacy for the blind is just as important to uplift and support as visual literacy. This month honors Louis Braille, the creator of the tactile writing and reading system.
- International Creativity Month: Students should celebrate their creativity this month and the benefits it can bring by showcasing it on their college applications. If you know students who want to take their creative talents all the way to their career, be sure to share our article on 6 Career Paths for People Who Want to Use Their Creativity.
- National Mentoring Month: Mentors are extremely important for students’ personal and academic growth. Get your soon-to-be college students ready to seek support in their higher education journey with this advice on How Students Can Find Supportive Mentors in College.
- National Hobby Month: Both students and counselors should make time to reinvest in their hobbies this month. (It’s especially worth it since certain hobbies could result in scholarship money!)
Monday, January 1
New Year’s Day
Happy New Year! Here’s to a fantastic 2024!
- 9 Great Tips for Students to Have a Successful New Year: Help every student set themselves up for success this year by sharing these New Year’s tips.
College application deadline
Today is a common Regular Decision application deadline for colleges around the country. Make sure your seniors have submitted their necessary applications by today!
SAT prep start date
It’s recommended that students planning to take the SAT on May 4 start studying for the test this month to be properly prepared in time.
Free personal statement webinar
If your students are looking for admission essay help, Moon Prep’s 8-Day Crash Course: Learn How to Write an Effective Personal Statement webinar will be available to access starting December 1 with daily modules to complete at their own pace.
Thursday, January 4
Braille Literacy Week
Although it’s observed the whole month, Braille Literacy Week also begins on January 4 in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday.
Friday, January 5
Regular ACT registration deadline
Today is the regular registration deadline for the February 10 ACT test date.
Saturday, January 6
Free SAT online trial class
Kaplan is offering free monthly prep classes once again, but now they’re specifically geared toward helping students prepare for the new digital SAT format. The first Digital SAT Live Online Trial Class will take place on Saturday the 6th from 9:00–11:00 am ET.
Free ACT prep course
Kaplan is also offering free monthly prep classes for the ACT, with an ACT Live Online Trial Class taking place on Saturday the 6th from 1:00–3:00 pm ET.
Monday, January 8
Scholarship search crash course
Moon Prep isn’t just helping students with the college search and applications this month—they’re also sharing their knowledge on scholarships with their free 9-Day Crash Course: The Search for Scholarships webinar. Students can register now for this pre-recorded series that begins Monday the 8th from 7:00–8:00 pm ET.
ACT live online trial class
If students miss the first session, they can sign up for another ACT Live Online Trial Class taking place on Monday the 8th from 7:00–9:00 pm ET.
Sunday, January 14
Free SAT/ACT score webinar for parents and students
Prep Expert’s Dr. Shaan Patel is offering a free SAT/ACT webinar on 10 secrets to raising standardized test scores and winning big scholarships to top colleges. Parents can sign up now for this session that starts at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday the 14th.
Monday, January 15
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Happy MLK Day! Take this day to celebrate and learn more about this truly remarkable man and everything he did for the Civil Rights Movement.
- Martin Luther King Jr. scholarships: CollegeXpress has a ton of listings for scholarships in honor of Dr. King!
College application deadline
Today is another common Regular Decision application deadline in January. Even if a student’s schools of interest have rolling admission, spots fill up fast and they should try to hit this deadline!
Tuesday, January 16
Free SAT live online trial class
The next Digital SAT Live Online Trial Class from Kaplan will be held today from 5:30–7:30 pm ET.
Free ACT prep course
There are so many trial classes for students to take advantage of this month! The next ACT Live Online Trial Class is also on Tuesday the 16th from 8:00–10:00 pm ET.
Monday, January 22
Late ACT registration deadline
Today is the late registration deadline for the February 10 ACT test date (late fees apply).
College application webinar
Students who need more in-depth guidance on college apps can sign up for Moon Prep’s Crash Course: A Step-by-Step Guide for Applying to College taking place on Monday the 22nd from 7:00–8:00 pm ET.
Free SAT online trial class
It’s the last chance this month to get some inside advice on the new SAT with Kaplan’s Digital SAT Live Online Trial Class. This session will take place from 8:00–10:00 pm ET.
Free ACT prep course
This is also the last opportunity for students to take an ACT Live Online Trial Class before the next test date in February. It goes from 7:30–9:30 pm ET.
- Top Tips to Avoid Test Prep Burnout for the SAT and Beyond: With all this studying, make sure students are also taking care of their mental and physical health with this helpful advice.
Thursday, January 25
High school to college webinar
Kaplan is offering some additional free webinars to students this month, including one on Navigating High School-Aligning Coursework and College Goals to help students chart their academic paths. They can sign up for this new opportunity taking place on Thursday the 25th from 7:30–8:30 pm ET.
Tuesday, January 30
Supplemental essays webinar
This last free recorded webinar for the month from Moon Prep walks students through a Crash Course on How to Write Supplemental Essays for college admission. It will be available starting January 30 from 7:00–8:00 pm ET.
Admission tests webinar
Kaplan’s last webinar this month aims to help students prep for all kinds of admission tests. Students can sign up for All About College Admissions Tests—SATs, ACTS, and More on January 30 from 7:30–8:30 pm ET.
Wednesday, January 31
CollegeXpress Fresh Start to 2024 Scholarship deadline
We’re giving away $2,024 (see what we did there?) this month to kick off the new year! Students can enter our Fresh Start to 2024 Scholarship from January 1–31 by registering on (or logging back in to) CollegeXpress and answering this question in one sentence: How do you plan to make 2024 a great year?
Did you know you can feature our top resources on your website? Head over to our Free College Widgets page to learn how. Winter is also a great time for students to apply for scholarship awards, and they can use our Scholarship Search tool to get started!
