What To Do By The End Of Your Junior Year to Prepare for College Admissions

Three years down, one to go! As junior year comes to a close, take time to look back and reflect on the progress you have made toward your goals over the past year. Were there things you would like to change or times that you will treasure forever? Giving yourself permission to look back on another successful year of high school will help set you up for success heading into your senior year. 

With a couple of weeks remaining in your junior year, make sure you have done everything you need to do to begin preparing and planning for life after high school.

Looking Forward to Senior Year

While it may be tempting to plan a fun and relaxed course load for your senior year, now is not the time to take it easy. When reviewing applications, colleges are going to look at the classes you take as a senior. Admissions committees want to see as much if not more rigor demonstrated through your class schedule. So, continue to challenge yourself! It will have significant payoffs in the end.

Now is the right time to finalize that you will meet all of your graduation requirements. Work with your high school counselor to ensure that you have taken the correct classes. If you find that you haven’t, it is better to discover that early on during your junior year so that you can readjust prior to your senior year. Also, if you have your heart set on going out of state, cross-check your classes to make sure you are meeting your university’s requirements as they may differ from your high school’s.

When selecting which electives to fill your schedule with, it is smart to choose classes that are in or related to the career field or major you are considering. This will provide you with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in your field of interest.  For instance, if you are considering majoring in graphic design, see if your high school has any design or art classes that you can take. This will help show admissions committees that you are thinking ahead and already preparing for your life as a certain major. 

Work On Your College Search

Junior year is the time to look into schools that interest you. To do this effectively, begin by determining what you are looking for in a college. 

Do you want a large school or a smaller one? Campuses all across the country vary in size—both in physical size and student population. For example, there are urban colleges or universities that may have a smaller campus but host a large student population. On the other hand, a school might have a sprawling, open campus, with a smaller number of students. This is important to consider early on, as this will be a significant help in narrowing down your college search.

Aside from campus size and student population, there are multiple other questions to consider as you begin your search. Do you want to attend a rural, suburban, or urban campus? Is your major offered at the college or university? Does the university have a Greek system, varsity athletics, or a study abroad program? Looking into these factors early is the best way to ensure you will choose the best school for you!  

Planning to Succeed

By the end of this school year you should have sat for at least one ACT or SAT exam. 

If you are still testing, there are many great free or relatively inexpensive resources available online. Simply Google ACT/SAT prep and you will find thousands of websites and videos to help aid in your studying. Check with your high school or local public library to see if they have digital or hard copy study materials that you can check out. Talk with your family members or older friends to see if they have any recommendations on how to best direct your study efforts.

It is also important to take time and research the testing requirements at the colleges or universities you are interested in. Many colleges will remain test-optional for the 2022-2023 application cycle. Knowing what test scores your future school requires will help provide a better idea of whether you should register for an optional section and will provide benchmarks you can work to achieve. Ask whether your college will superscore, meaning if you take the ACT or SAT multiple times, they will select the highest section scores to determine a “super” score. This is a great option if you do choose to retest, as it may increase your composite score. It is also important to keep all of your score reports together in one place so you’re able to analyze them in the context of one another.

Regardless of how you prepare, when you test, or what your college’s requirements are, the bottom line is this: you want to do well. Having a strong test score will increase not just your chances of going to college, but it will increase your confidence, knowing you can do anything you put your mind to! 

Imagine Yourself as a College Student

While your freshman year of college is still over a year in the future, your junior year and the beginning of your senior year are ideal times to visit the colleges you are considering. Visit the admissions webpage at each individual college and see what visits they offer. Most institutions will offer a general campus tour and information session, but many offer larger prospective student events throughout the year which are also fun to attend. Additionally, colleges are still continuing to offer virtual information sessions and campus tours, so if you can’t get to the actual campus, you should definitely take advantage of these opportunities. 

Being on a college campus may feel a little strange, but it is important to really take time to picture yourself as a student on each campus. Work with the admissions team and schedule a time to sit in on a class in your major or attend a sporting event. If you have friends who are current students, see if you can stay in the dorm with them so you can get a taste of life in a residence hall. 

If you are not able to visit every single college you are interested in, put your name on their mailing list, or connect with an admissions representative through email. This is a great way to receive campus updates and stay in the loop on interesting news and stories happening at each institution. Connecting with schools in this way will demonstrate your interest in enrolling, which is important for admission. Most importantly, take this year to really see what each college has to offer and allow yourself to dream!

Staying Active in Your Activities

In the third year of high school you will have the opportunity to take on more significant leadership roles within your extracurriculars. Though it may be tempting, do not volunteer to be the leader in every activity you are involved with! This will only lead to you feeling tired and burned out. Instead, look to lead within a handful of activities that you are truly passionate about. 

Are there certain areas that you excel in? If so, consider getting involved in ways that will allow you to hone in on that specific talent or gifting. Specializing in an activity will demonstrate your desire and commitment to your craft, which is something admissions find attractive when reviewing applications. Having a specific area of specialization will also help if you have any aspirations for attending an Ivy League school. If you are considering an Ivy League school, think of creative ways to build and promote your specialized, high-level activities. You could create a website or YouTube channel to share your talents with the world, as well as the growth or improvement you have made over time. 

Create a resume specific to your activities that explains your involvement and any honors or accomplishments you have earned. This is where the list of accomplishments you have kept updated over the years will come in handy. Simply format and organize your awards and dates of involvement based on the activities that you want to be highlighted the most. Many colleges are beginning to allow applicants to upload additional documents and having a resume all about your dedication to extracurriculars will set you apart.

Creating Your College List

By the end of your junior year, you should have a general idea of which colleges you are most interested in attending. Though this list will be subject to change, it is important to narrow down your options so that you can head into your senior year with a clear path in mind. 

Once you have created your list, devote time to researching specific application requirements for each institution. Consider the test score policies that each school has, including minimum composite scores. This will direct your standardized test preparation as well as help you determine whether you need to retest. 

Another important policy to consider is whether the university requires or recommends applicant interviews. If your college requires an interview, research the college’s website for directions, including the location of interviews, whether you can do them with an alum or current student, or if all interviews must be conducted by an admissions officer. Knowing what to expect before you begin the admissions process will provide you with confidence and time to prepare. 

Having a short list of your top schools will allow you to better keep track of deadlines which will become increasingly important. Research the different application options offered at each school. It is important to know whether your school has a rolling admissions process, meaning there is no set deadline, or if they have various application deadlines throughout the year. 

Many schools have Early Action deadlines, which are earlier in the application cycle, usually in November. Early Action applications will require you to have your materials in early, but will also provide you with an earlier decision, typically within early to mid-January rather than later in the spring. 

Another application option you may see is Early Decision. While this application looks a lot like Early Action, Early Decision differs significantly. An Early Decision application can only be submitted to your top school, and this admission decision is binding. A binding decision means if you are offered admission, you are required to withdraw all other applications to other institutions and enroll at the college. This might be a great option for you, but it is important to know the ramifications of this specific type of application. 

Now that you have chosen your top schools and are aware of the important deadlines and application options, you can begin the next step in preparing for the application process.  

Get Your Documents in Order

Learn more about the supplemental information that you are allowed to submit during the application process. While some schools limit what you are able to provide, it is wise to begin creating and refining your resume or portfolio before you begin applying. Take time to make sure these documents accurately reflect your academic abilities as well as your extracurricular involvement and talents. 

Many colleges will require you to submit supplemental essays along with your application. While some schools release essay prompts in the summer, most are released in early August and typically coincide with the date that applications open.  

Many colleges and universities require applicants to submit a personal statement. Your personal statement is a critical component of your application and provides the opportunity to share more about who you are, your goals, and what makes you different than all of the other applicantsl. This is not an essay that you want to wait until the last minute to write! In fact, you should consider beginning your personal statement in the spring of your junior year, especially if you have a busy summer ahead of you! 

If any of your colleges are on the Common App, your junior year and the summer before your senior year is a great time to begin filling it out. While information like your test scores and GPA is subject to change, having the biographical portion filled out will ensure you have one less worry once you dive headfirst into the college application season. One important detail to keep in mind is that if you choose to add colleges to your Common App, do not fill out any college-specific supplements. Any of those specific portions will disappear when the Common App rolls over at the end of July, leaving you to add that information all over again.  

While you cannot officially begin applying to your colleges, you can get a head start on requesting and gathering letters of recommendation. Starting this step early will help to alleviate additional stress during the application process. 

Request Your Recommenders Wisely 

Ideally, you will want to choose a teacher from one of your core academic classes, but if you have an established relationship with another teacher, certainly reach out to them as well. You will want to have two letters of recommendation ready for when you begin applying, so it is a good idea to reach out to teachers in two separate subjects. You should ideally have one letter from a teacher in English, social studies, or foreign language, and another letter from a math or science teacher. Having letters from two different disciplines will show your prowess as a student.  

Before you formally ask someone to provide a letter of recommendation, make sure to check if your high school has any rules surrounding the process. Many high schools do have policies in place, restricting students from asking for letters until May or possibly not until the fall of your senior year. Knowing these policies will ensure that you are not just following the rules, but are respecting the time of your recommender. When you are able to ask for a recommendation, be sure to provide your updated resume as well as any important information you would like them to include or discuss in their submission. 

If you want to have a letter of recommendation from a person outside of school, look to the coaches, employers, or mentors who you have worked closely with. This recommender should be someone who knows you personally and is able to speak knowledgeably about your strengths outside of the classroom. Though it may be tempting, providing letters from famous or well-known people that may be an acquaintance or friend of a friend will not amplify your application. Instead, it is best to choose your recommenders wisely so that admissions committees can get to know you on a deeper level. 

Now that you have your recommendations in order, it is time to start thinking about money—specifically how you are going to pay for college while doing so in a financially responsible manner. The best way to do so is by applying for scholarships.

Money Matters

Start researching and applying for scholarships early and often. It is wise to start this process early as it will simply give you more time to look into your options. The best place to start is with college-specific scholarships. 

While most colleges offer merit scholarships that include no additional application, research whether your top schools have additional scholarships you can apply for. Many of these scholarships have early application deadlines, so make sure to inquire early to ensure you apply in time. 

Once you look into the opportunities available at the institutional level, you can start compiling a list of local and private scholarships that you are eligible for. Local opportunities could be anything from the Rotary Club to non-profit organizations or memorial funds in your hometown. These are great opportunities as the application will likely not be as rigorous as a very competitive, nation-wide scholarship. Private scholarships are very competitive as they often require a longer application process and have many more applicants than local scholarships. If you are wanting to apply for a competitive private scholarship, begin the process early so that your application is perfect when you are ready to hit submit. 

As you round out your junior year, you may be eager to start preparing for life after school. It is exciting to consider all that life has in store after graduation, but there is still plenty of time to focus on refining and developing life skills within high school that you will rely on through adulthood. 

Developing Skills for Life

Though you may think you are far from the edge of adulthood, it is just right around the corner and you need to be building skills now, so you are ready for when college and “adulting” officially begin. Now that you are a junior in high school, it is time to make nice with your counselor if you have not already. They will play such an instrumental role in your senior year and in helping you put your best foot forward as you apply to colleges.

 A lifelong skill to continue to build upon is your love for reading. Though it may seem like the majority of your reading involves homework or studying, challenge yourself to find ways to read for pleasure. Use reading to learn new skills or expand your knowledge about current issues or topics that interest you. Having a healthy relationship with reading will set you up for success in so many ways and now is a great time to get started. 

Just as you have throughout high school, continue to keep your passwords and login information documented and secure. Once you begin applying to college, the number of unique logins you will have to keep track of will likely double! Having a system in place to track and manage your passwords will not only help make logging in a million times easier but will give you one less thing to worry about.