Planning to be Prepared: Ending Junior Year on the Right Note

By Kalen Cobb, Associate College Counselor

In the name of transparency, I don’t remember many details about my junior year of high school. What I do remember, however, is beginning my senior year feeling confident in my ability to crush both my academics and college application process. I must attribute this confidence to prior planning and preparation that was cemented during the spring of the previous year.

Your junior year is an important time to get ahead and make the college application process less overwhelming as a senior. Follow along for some of my tips on how to make the most of your last few months as a junior.

Focus On Your Classes

Spring of junior year is an incredibly important time in the life of a high school student and sets the tone for the college application process. Often, particularly for students applying to college under an early admissions program, junior year grades are the most recent grades that will be attached to your application. Thus, it is paramount that a student in this position focuses on doing well in their junior spring classes. Admissions officers want to see an upward trend in both academic grades and rigor, so prioritizing academics is a solid decision.

Build Relationships

Relationship-building is also critical during this period. Strengthening relationships with your peers will prove to be helpful as you grow your community and support systems that you can lean on for encouragement, inspiration, and accountability. Developing a relationship with a mentor or some of your teachers will help you when thinking about who to choose to write your recommendations. It is a good idea to have three to four teachers, coaches, mentors, or other professionals in mind in case one or two are unable to write a positive recommendation for you. While you can start thinking about this now, the best time to ask for a teacher recommendation will be after you have completed the course. More information about choosing recommenders will be available in a future blog post.

Know What’s Ahead

In the same way, if you haven’t already, now is a great time to introduce yourself to your college counselor. While some schools and counselors strictly focus on the senior class, it doesn’t hurt to stop by the office and take a look around. Your college or school counselor should be able to give you a general overview of the application process as well as indicate when you might want to begin your testing. You can find testing dates and locations for the SAT here and similar information for the ACT here. Additionally, if you need and are eligible for a fee waiver for these exams, talk to your counselor about how you can access these resources.

Get Involved

It’s February which means that there is still time to get involved in extracurricular activities and apply for summer programs and internships. Already involved in a club or group? Look out for opportunities to increase your involvement (if you have capacity) and apply for leadership positions as they become available. Also, consider volunteering or shadowing a professional in an industry you want to know more about.

Ask Questions

It is never too early or too late to begin asking questions! We have compiled a list of college counseling resources that can support your knowledge quest. If you have personal questions and would like one-on-one support, we have a number of service offerings to meet your needs.