The LA Galaxy Academy provides its student-athletes with college counseling. The college counseling ensures that students stay on track to graduate and remain eligible to compete at top universities. The staff assists in course selection and SAT/ACT preparation.

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Beginning at a young age, Aaron Cervantes and Cade Hagan (8th graders) learn to be aware of their academic progress and seek support when necessary.
Freshman Checklist
  • Establish strong study habits and time management techniques.
  • Explore and participate in community service.
  • Meet your counselor and start thinking about classes you might want to take at CA Connections.
  • Start a list of any accomplishments or awards to use later when you prepare a resume or fill out college applications.

Sophomore Checklist        
September
  • Concentrate on academic preparation and continue to develop basic skills and extracurricular interests
  • Take challenging classes, when appropriate
  • Register for the PSAT -- good practice for the SAT
  • Participate in community service
October
  • Take the PSAT as a practice test (optional)
  • Stay on top of your academics
  • Be a leader in clubs, sports and other ECA’s
  • Take the Mock SAT or ACT                 
November–January
  • Receive results from PSAT in December
  • PSAT - review strengths and weaknesses
  • Develop learning strategies/plan for taking SAT and/or ACT in junior year        
February–March
  • Keep your grades up
  • Continue with community service
  • Explore summer internships and jobs
  • Take Mock ACT or SAT         
April–May
  • Visit local colleges, attend College Fairs, begin contacting coaches
  • Sign up to take summer classes at a nearby college
  • Volunteer, work or take classes over summer
  • Talk to friends and family about a variety of colleges
  • Register for SAT Subject Tests, if applicable
  • Add to your list of accomplishments and awards   

Junior Checklist        
September
  • Plan college visits
  • Take challenging classes, when appropriate
  • Continue with community service during school year
  • Register with NCAA Clearinghouse
October
  • Take the PSAT
  • Have your counselor evaluate your records for college preparation
  • Make sure you are meeting the “a–g” course requirements for UC/CSU
  • Continue attending college admission representative visits                 
November
  • Network with your peers, family, and friends for information on college choices
  • Start keeping a list of colleges, careers, and majors that might interest you
  • Research colleges
  • Visit local colleges                 
December
  • Research colleges
  • Visit local colleges
  • Explore careers
January
  • Plan a strategy for getting the SAT and/or ACT scores you want
  • Continue community service
  • Register for the SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, and/or the ACT
  • Add to your list of accomplishments and awards                
February–March
  • Make a list of your top 10 colleges and begin investigating them
  • Plan college campus visits for your spring break
  • Explore careers/majors more in depth
  • Visit colleges
  • Research and sign up for summer internships
  • Take SAT or ACT
  • Keep your grades up         
April–May
  • Visit colleges
  • Narrow down to 5 schools to focus on investigating further
  • Take SAT or ACT
  • Review test results; decide whether to take preparation course, if re-testing
  • Sign up for and take AP exams in May (if appropriate)
  • Begin drafting resume          
May–August
  • Continue to collect information on your top colleges, majors, and career choices
  • Take summer classes
  • Volunteer or get work experience
  • Brainstorm ideas for writing college personal statement—draft statement
  • Discuss college finances with parents
  • Take test preparation class, if appropriate
  • Review your SAT or ACT scores with counselor
  • Visit more colleges during the summer
  • Ask for teacher recommendations
  • Add to your list of accomplishments and awards
  • College coaches can contact you after July 1st of your junior year.   
 
Senior Checklist        
August
  • Meet with parents to discuss college finances and any other help you need
  • Register for any additional testing and send scores to schools you are sure you will apply to
  • Check transcripts to make sure they are complete and there are no errors
  • Complete your resume (helps teachers with recommendations, and you with applications)
  • Keep brainstorming essay ideas
  • Look into possible scholarships                 
September
  • Visit schools you are interested in and take a tour
  • Create a separate email account for all college info—check it daily
  • Ask for recommendations
  • Make a list of colleges you will apply to and their deadlines
  • Decide if you are applying Early Action or Early Decision to any schools
  • Invite teachers to send recommendations online         
October
  • Online application opens for Cal State Universities on Oct. 1; remember to check each individual campus for deadlines
  • Write your UC personal statement
  • Complete essays for early decision/early action
  • Complete any rolling admission, early action, or early decision applications         
November
  • Online application opens for UCs on Nov. 1
  • Complete UC and CSU applications/essays
  • Register for CSS profile (for financial aid at private schools)
  • Send SAT or ACT test scores to all schools that need them
  • UCs and CSU “impacted” campus application deadline is Nov. 30             
December
  • Continue working on essays/applications for Common App schools
  • Complete all applications
  • Complete all testing        
  • Verify that all schools have received your test scores
January
  • Keep checking deadlines—most private college applications will be due sometime in January
  • Turn in your FAFSA form (for your financial aid package) by March 2
  • Send thank you notes to teachers and counselor for recommendations
  • Check email from colleges
  • If you were admitted somewhere by early decision, you must withdraw all other applications                 
February
  • Most priority deadlines for CSS Profile are in Feb.
  • Check for email from colleges                 
March
  • FAFSA deadline is March 2 for California schools
  • Cal Grants application deadline
  • Complete any requests from schools that admitted you (housing, essays, etc.)        
April
  • Preview programs and visit colleges for an overnight
  • Send Intent to Register, and then notification to colleges you are not attending. (Deadline for Intent to Register is usually May 1). If deferring for a Gap Year, notify the college in writing
  • Check for any other deadlines (e.g. housing, scholarships)—some deadlines will be in early May            
May
  • Send deposit for housing
  • Register for AP tests, if appropriate        
  • Complete enrollment paperwork for your selected college         
June
  • Ask for final transcript to be sent