It’s already November, and fall seems to be flying by so fast; before you know it, it’ll be Christmas break and the start of a new year. But before all that happens, there are some things students should be doing this month to plan for college and set themselves up for the future, including applying for scholarship during National Scholarship Month. Happy planning!
General monthly planning
- High school freshmen: If they haven’t already, ninth graders should meet with their school counselor to start planning out courses for the coming year that will challenge them and set them up for college success later.
- High school sophomores: 10th graders should spend some time finding additional extracurricular activities if they didn’t discover their niche during freshman year. It’s also a great time to start studying for the PSAT if they’ve already signed up for it!
- High school juniors: November is a good time for juniors to really buckle down on the things that will help boost their future college applications: good grades and extracurricular activities.
- High school seniors: Any seniors applying to college Early Action or Early Decision should be finalizing their applications before the deadlines sneak up. They should also make sure that scores have been sent to their colleges of interest if they’ve taken the SAT or ACT.
Month-long observances and celebrations
- National Scholarship Month: Encourage your students to apply for as many scholarships as they can this month (and every month!). They can start looking for awards with our handy Scholarship Search tool.
- Career Development Month: Teach students about the importance of career prep this month to help them prepare for a bright future.
- Native American Heritage Month: Educate and celebrate this month by visiting NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov or sharing our Native American Heritage Month content.
- National Entrepreneurship Month: A lot of students have an interest in starting their own business. This month is a great opportunity to prepare for their future life as an entrepreneur.
- National Diabetes Awareness Month: Diabetes affects a lot more people—and a lot more students—than you might think. Learn how you can help and spread more awareness from the American Diabetes Association.
- National Novel Writing Month: This is the perfect month for aspiring student authors to brush up on their writing skills and bust out that novel they have within them.
Tuesday, November 1
Día de los Muertos (All Saints’ Day)
The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday to honor and remember loved ones who have passed.
National Author’s Day
Break out your favorite author’s best book today! If you’re looking for your next favorite author, we have plenty of book recommendations to find them.
Wednesday, November 2
National Stress Awareness Day
Students are often good at hiding stress! Make sure they have the tools for stress management and reduction with these tips:
- How to Manage Your Stress for Better Health as a Student
- 8 Healthy Stress Management Tips for Students
Free SAT/ACT score webinar for parents and students
Prep Expert’s Dr. Shaan Patel is offering another free SAT/ACT webinar on 10 secrets to raising standardized test scores and winning big scholarships to top colleges. Parents can sign up for this webinar that starts at 6:00 pm ET on Wednesday the 2nd.
SAT live online trial class
Kaplan is offering an SAT free trial class that will take place from 7:30–9:30 pm ET on Wednesday the 2nd.
Thursday, November 3
Regular SAT registration deadline
Today is the Regular registration deadline for the December 3 SAT test date.
Friday, November 4
Regular ACT registration deadline
Today is the Regular registration deadline for the December 10 ACT test date.
Saturday, November 5
SAT test date
Today is an SAT test date for students across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
ACT live online trial class
Kaplan is offering an ACT free trial class that will take place from 2:00–4:00 pm ET on Saturday the 5th.
Sunday, November 6
Daylight Saving Time ends
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep on Saturday night!
SAT live online trial class
Kaplan has another SAT free trial class scheduled for 6:30–8:30 pm ET on Sunday the 6th.
Monday, November 7
ACT live online trial class
Catch another ACT free trial class from Kaplan at 7:00–9:00 pm ET on Monday the 7th.
Tuesday, November 8
US Election Day
Encourage students who are eligible to get out there and vote today! Remember: State elections are equally as important to participate in as presidential ones.
- 5 Reasons Every Young Adult Should Vote: If your students are on the fence about voting, share these five good reasons to show up to the polls.
National STEM Day
National STEM Day celebrates all things science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Encourage your students to hone their skills in the field with our article What Makes a Great STEM Student? 5 Ways to Become One.
Wednesday, November 9
ACT scores released
Scores for the October 22 ACT test date should be released today through December 17.
Thursday, November 10
ACT live online trial class
Kaplan is offering one more ACT free trial class this month from 8:00–10:00 pm ET on Thursday the 10th.
Friday, November 11
Veterans Day
Today is a US federal holiday honoring military veterans.
Animation Domination High-Def via GIPHY
Late ACT registration deadline
Today is the Late registration deadline for the December 10 ACT test date.
Sunday, November 13
Start of American Education Week
Honoring the American public school system and everyone—including school counselors—at the heart of it, the theme for American Education Week 2022 is “Together for safe, just, and equitable schools.”
World Kindness Day
Celebrate and inspire kindness today and every day!
Tuesday, November 15
America Recycles Day
Help our planet by learning more about recycling and how you can really make a difference.
National Philanthropy Day
November is filled with different acts of service days! Get in the spirit by teaching students how to get involved in community service.
- Becoming a Volunteer in College: 7 Important Areas of Service
- How to Get Involved in Community Service in High School
Wednesday, November 16
International Day of Tolerance
As designated by the UN, today is a day to “foster mutual understanding among cultures and peoples.”
Friday, November 18
SAT scores released
Scores from the November 5 SAT test date should be released by today and sent to colleges within 10 days.
Sunday, November 20
National Family Volunteer Day
Another great excuse to volunteer—and this time with family! Get out there and do some good today.
Tuesday, November 22
Late SAT registration deadline
Today is the Late registration deadline as well as the deadline for changes and cancellations for the December 3 SAT test date.
Thursday, November 24
American Thanksgiving
Eat some turkey, take a long nap, and—of course—give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 25
Native American Heritage Day
This day honors Native American heritage, history, and contributions as the first people of our nation. Read our Native American Heroes of History series to learn the stories of some amazing Indigenous individuals.
Tuesday, November 29
Giving Tuesday
Here’s another opportunity to do good and give back in November, whether it’s your time, money, or voice to help people and causes you care about.
Wednesday, November 30
CollegeXpress No-Essay Scholarship deadline
We’re giving away $1,000 in honor of National Scholarship Month with our easy No-Essay Scholarship contest. From November 1–30, students just have to register on CollegeXpress (or log back in) and answer this question: How many scholarships have you applied for this year?
Have your students joined the CollegeXpress community yet? Refer them here! They can also check out our Ultimate College Search Guide series on YouTube for quick college planning videos covering all four years of high school!
