General monthly planning
- High school freshmen: If your ninth grade students are the type to plan ahead, have them check out the expert advice on How Should Freshmen Prepare for the College Search? It’ll help them get a jump-start on their future.
- High school sophomores: 10th grade can feel like one of the harder years of high school, especially when second semester hits. Help students get through it with Sophomore Year of High School: Our Best Survival Advice.
- High school juniors: 11th grade students should use this month to start preparing for campus visits, whether they’re safely attending in person or conducting research through online tours. Make sure they check out our article Campus Tours: What to Expect and How to Prepare or our list of CX Featured Colleges With Virtual Campus Tours.
- High school seniors: 12th graders should look for scholarships and keep their grades up right now. Just because their college applications are submitted doesn’t mean students should stop putting in the effort; colleges will want to see good second-semester grades, and many scholarships have deadlines coming up in the spring. Use our Senior Year of High School: Our Best Survival Adviceto stay on track!
Month-long observances and events
- Black History Month: Celebrate and learn about Black history and culture this month with CollegeXpress by checking out all our Black History Month content!
- American Heart Month: This month is also dedicated to focusing on cardiovascular health and preventing heart disease. One way to manage heart health is through self-care. Check out the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s “7 Days of Self-Care” to get ideas for every day of the week.
- Career and Technical Education Month: Career and technical education prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers in fields like health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, and more. To learn more about what some of these careers entail and the kind of earnings students can expect, check out our article Top 10 Career Fields in America: What You Should Know.
- 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: The Winter Olympics Games start on February 4 and go until February 20. While you’re waiting, check out our article Tokyo Olympics: Where US Olympians Went to College to learn about last year’s Olympians!
Tuesday, February 1
National Freedom Day
Today honors the signing of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery.
Start of Chinese New Year
Marking the start of a new year in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, Chinese New Year is celebrated with the Spring Festival. 2022 is the year of the Tiger.
Wednesday, February 2
Groundhog Day
Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Or will winter end early this year? Why do we trust a groundhog anyway? These are the important questions!
Thursday, February 3
Free virtual summer planning webinar
Offered by Moon Prep, the Summer Planning–Research Ideas for High School Students webinar will help students plan ahead and find experiential learning opportunities to boost their high school résumés. It takes place on Thursday the 3rd from 8:00–9:00 pm.
How to Craft the Perfect High School Résumé: While they’re at it, students can ensure they have all their résumé bases covered with this advice.
Monday, February 7
Start of National School Counseling Week
School counselors are integral to high school student success. This year’s theme for the week-long celebration is School Counseling: Better Together. Check out the American School Counselor Association to learn more.
Wednesday, February 9
National Pizza Day
What better excuse do you need to go grab a slice (or even a whole pie). Happy Pizza Day!
Thursday, February 10
Free SAT/ACT & Scholarship Webinar
Prep Expert’s free “10 Secrets to Raise Your Child’s SAT or ACT Score & Get Scholarships to a Top College” webinar will help parents and students work together to bring up standardized test scores and find scholarships to top colleges. It starts at 3:00 pm on the 10th!
Free SAT Bootcamp
Kaplan is offering two free SAT Bootcamp webinars this month to prep for the test. Students can sign up for the first one on February 10th from 7:30–9:00 pm.
Friday, February 11
SAT Regular registration deadline
Today is the Regular registration deadline for the March 12 SAT test date.
Saturday, February 12
ACT test date
Today is an ACT testing date for students across the country.
Sunday, February 13
Free ACT Prep Class
Students can prep for the April 2 ACT test date with Kaplan’s free ACT Prep Class from 5:00–6:00 pm on Sunday the 13th.
Monday, February 14
Valentine’s Day
Whether you’re snuggling up with your favorite person, going on a friend date, or enjoying an evening at home, we wish you a happy and love-filled Valentine’s Day.
National Organ Donor Day
In honor of the day of love, take some time to learn about organ donation and how it saves lives!
Tuesday, February 15
Live College Admission Q&A
If students have questions about college admission, they should sign up for Prep Expert’s free webinar on Tuesday the 15th at 5:00 pm to have them answered by the experts.
Thursday, February 17
Random Acts of Kindness Day
Do something nice for someone else today and spread kindness wherever you go!
Free SAT/ACT & Scholarship Webinar
If students and parents miss Prep Expert’s first webinar session on bringing up standardized test scores and landing scholarships, they can tune in on the 17th at 3:00 pm instead!
Free virtual medical school admission webinar
Moon Prep’s second webinar for the month, Beat the Odds—Insider Tips for Applying to Medical School, can help students with big ambitions. Students should get ready for this one on Thursday the 17th from 8:00–9:00 pm.
Monday, February 21
Presidents’ Day
Happy Birthday to George Washington and Abe Lincoln! We know we all love a long weekend. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 22
Free Parents Webinar
For parents concerned about their student’s high school grades, check out Prep Expert’s free webinar on “5 High School Hacks: Strategies to Improve Your Child's Grades in the Digital Age” on Tuesday the 22nd at 3:30 pm.
Free ACT Prep Class
If students miss the first class of the month, they can sign up for the second session on Tuesday the 22nd from 7:30–8:30 pm.
ACT score release date
The scores for the multiple-choice portion of the February 12 ACT test date should be released today.
Wednesday, February 23
Free SAT Bootcamp
If students miss the first webinar, they can sign up for the second free SAT Bootcamp on Wednesday the 23rd from 6:30–8:00 pm.
Friday, February 25
ACT Regular registration deadline
Today is the Regular registration deadline for the April 2 ACT test date.
SAT or ACT? Tips for Deciding and Top Study Resources: Before your students register, make sure they know which test they should take and what kind of resources they can access for studying.
Monday, February 28
Maha Shivaratri
This holiday, which goes into Tuesday, is a major Hindu festival honoring the god Shiva. Wish your Hindu peers a Happy Maha Shivaratri!
CollegeXpress easy monthly scholarship deadline
Remind your students to register on CollegeXpress and answer one question to be entered to win our $2,000 Thank You for Being a Friend Scholarship Contest.
Have your students joined the CollegeXpress community yet? Refer them here! Just by signing up, they have a chance to win not only our monthly mini-scholarships but our yearly $10,000 scholarship contest as well.