The Four Year Plan

Objective: To help students be intentional about choosing opportunities for academic, spiritual, and personal growth.

Creating a four-year plan is valuable because it helps students be strategic as they select their courses and choose other activities. Not only does it help them make better choices in high school, but it helps them develop planning skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives. The goal is not to have a list of experiences that just “look good” on a college application, but rather to have a college application reflect the experiences that the student has chosen as a part of a deep and rich high school experience. Documentation of these experiences will help them tell their stories in college essays and on applications.

Areas of Focus: Students, parents, deans and the college and career counselor focus on three main areas.

• Academic: Students work with the dean and college and career counselor to choose courses for career preparation, interest and rigor.
• Spiritual: Students are encouraged to be involved and seek growth in a church environment. Service opportunities are chosen thoughtfully, keeping career and other interests in mind.
• Personal: Students are invited to participate in a broad spectrum of extracurricular activities including drama, athletics, art, publications, chapel planning, and more. The interests they develop and the relationships they form with other students and adults are integral to their development.

Implementation: Planning begins with a parent and student meeting in the second semester of eighth grade to map out tentative course selections for the student’s high school career. Students meet annually with the dean or the college and career counselor to review selections for the upcoming year and make any adjustments. Parents receive a suggested schedule to discuss with their student and dean or college counselor as needed. An additional meeting between the dean or college and career counselor and the student at the beginning of the first semester of each year provides an opportunity to discuss academic, spiritual and personal goals for the year. Parents and students receive the questions in advance to consider together before the meeting.

The Four Year Plan: Questions to Consider

Academic

• What are you thinking about doing after high school? Why are you interested in that area?
• What kind of education after high school will you need for that career?
• What are your academic goals for this year?
• Do you need additional support or challenges in academics?

Spiritual

• Where do you worship?
• What activities are you involved with that will help you grow spiritually?
• How are you planning on serving this year? Have you thought about exploring an area of interest as you accrue service hours?

Personal Growth

• What do you do for fun? What extracurricular activities are you planning on participating in?
• What are you passionate about? How can I help you explore some additional ways to be involved?
• How are your friendships? Who do you hang out with? Are these relationships helping you reach your personal goals?
• What adult at school do you like and respect? Have you been able to take a class/ play a sport/do an activity under his or her leadership?
• Are there any classes that you definitely want to take during your high school career?