Visit your school's counseling office to speak directly with your counselor on classes and future planning for college. Your counselor will be able to guide you in the right direction depending on the career you are looking to enter.
Register for AP (Advanced Placement) classes with your counselor. These classes range from general academic classes, such as English and Math, to advanced Science and vocational classes (depending on your requirements and career choice). AP classes generally have a grade point requirement, so it is important to consider your previous grades and to always maintain a steady grade point average to continue AP classes regularly. AP classes give college credit to eliminate future classes by completing them in high school while also earning high school credits simultaneously. AP classes are advanced and at college level, and may require additional homework and projects to be completed.
Ask the counselor at your high school if local colleges and universities have pre-college credit programs and dual-enrollment programs. Some colleges allow students who are juniors or seniors to enroll dually in a college to gain credit for both high school and future college courses. These opportunities for dual enrollment in college are also sometimes limited to those with a certain grade point average, depending on your school and state's policies.
Join clubs and other groups in your high school that can help future colleges to notice you when applying. Becoming a part of the National Honor Society or Junior ROTC is sometimes beneficial when applying for college, depending on where you are applying and also the career path you have chosen.