When did 2025 get here?! It feels like a year of college planning went by so fast. While we’re ringing in the new year, students are heading back to school for the second half of their academic year and even more college planning. Seniors are waiting on admission decisions. Juniors may be gearing up for the SAT or ACT. There’s a lot going on for students at the beginning of a new calendar year. Ensure they’re prepared for it all with the first College Planning Calendar of the new year!
General monthly planning
- 9th grade: It can be hard for high school freshmen 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: The idea of college prep is starting 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 test date yet, they should soon. Are they still deciding between exams? Are they procrastinating because they’re applying to test-optional schools? Help them answer these questions and concerns with our article, The Big Choice: The SAT vs. the ACT and Test-Optional Schools.
- 12th grade: Regular college admission deadlines are right around the corner! Make sure your seniors have edited and completed their applications before they send them off. We have just the advice they need 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. But your students have a lot going on! That’s why they need this advice on How to Make Time for Creative Projects as a Busy Student.
- National Mentoring Month: Mentors are extremely important for students’ personal and academic growth. Help your soon-to-be college students prepare to build relationships in higher education with the advice under our “mentors” tag.
- National Hobby Month: Both students and counselors should make time to reinvest in their hobbies this month. We take the mental health and creative value of hobbies very seriously here at CollegeXpress—just check out all our content on the topic!
Wednesday, January 1
New Year’s Day
Happy New Year! Here’s to a fresh start and a successful 2025!
- 9 Great Tips for Students to Have a Successful New Year: Help every student set themselves up for success this year by sharing this practical advice.
New CollegeXpress easy monthly scholarship contest opens
New year, new month, new easy scholarship opportunity from CollegeXpress! From January 1–31, students can enter for a chance to win $2,025 (see what we did there?) with our New Year, New Opportunity Scholarship. Just create a free CX account (or log back in) and answer this question: What is one new thing you want to try in 2025?
College application deadline
Today is a common Regular Decision application deadline for colleges around the country. Remind your seniors to submit any applications that are due today!
SAT prep start date
Students planning for the May 3 SAT test date should start studying this month to feel totally ready in time, according to the experts!
- 4 Awesome (and Free) SAT Prep Resources: If your students are looking for a good place to start preparing for the SAT, they should check out these four fun, easy-to-use, and totally free online test prep resources.
Friday, January 3
Regular ACT registration deadline
Today is the regular registration deadline for the February 8 ACT test date.
Saturday, January 4
Braille Literacy Week begins
Although it’s observed the whole month, Braille Literacy Week also begins on January 4 in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday.
Free ACT prep course
Kaplan is offering their usual free monthly prep classes for the ACT, with the first ACT Live Online Trial Class taking place on Saturday the 4th from 1:00–3:00 pm ET.
Monday, January 6
Free ACT prep course
If students miss the first session, they can sign up for another ACT Live Online Trial Class taking place on Monday the 6th from 7:00–9:00 pm ET.
Thursday, January 9
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 on Thursday the 9th from 5:30–7:30 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.
Tuesday, January 14
Free ACT prep course
There are even more ACT Live Online Trial Classes where the last three came from! The next opportunity with Kaplan is available on Tuesday the 14th from 8:00–10:00 pm ET. Encourage your students to give it a try!
Wednesday, January 15
College application deadline
Today is another common Regular Decision college application deadline in January. Even if your students’ schools of interest have rolling admission, spots fill up fast and they should try to hit this deadline if they can!
Monday, January 20
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!
Late ACT registration deadline
Today is the late registration deadline for the February 8 ACT test date (late fees apply).
Wednesday, January 22
Free ACT prep course
This is 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 on Wednesday the 22nd.
Sunday, January 26
Isra and Mi'raj
Today is an important Muslim holiday honoring the miraculous nighttime journey of the Prophet Muhammad. We wish you a blessed day!
Free scholarship and digital SAT webinar for parents
Prep Expert’s Dr. Shaan Patel is offering his revamped free parents webinar on strategies to help teens win college scholarships and ace the digital SAT. The webinar will take place on January 26 at 5:00 pm ET. Be sure to share this opportunity with parents and students to help them learn about the online format!
Wednesday, January 29
Lunar New Year
This 15-day celebration commemorates the new year according to the Chinese lunar calendar; 2025 is the year of the Snake. Gōngxǐ fācái (Congratulations and be prosperous)!
Project iQ camp webinar begins
Moon Prep is offering a four-week webinar bootcamp that runs from January 29–February 26 every Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET. Project iQ Camp aims to help students in grades 8–11 build their résumés, launch passion projects, and find ways to stand out for BS/MD and other Pre-med programs. This opportunity is free for students and their families who are registered with Moon Prep (with parents encouraged to attend as well)!
- 5 Insider Tips for BS/MD Admission Success: Did you know Moon Prep has a ton of advice on direct-entry medical programs that you can read on CollegeXpress? Students interested in pursuing medicine can’t go wrong with their insider tips.
Friday, January 31
CollegeXpress New Year, New Opportunity Scholarship deadline
Make sure your students don’t miss out on a chance to win $2,025 to kick off the new year! They can enter our New Year, New Opportunity Scholarship through January 31 by registering on (or logging back in to) CollegeXpress and telling us one new thing they want to try in 2025.
