Get Ahead This Spring: 5 Steps for College-Bound Juniors
While many juniors are counting down to summer, students should use this semester to prepare a college application that sets them up to relax and enjoy senior year.
1. Standardized Testing: Make a plan and register
Decide when you’ll take the SAT and/or the ACT, make a plan for preparing, and register for your first test date.
Take Both the SAT and ACT Practice Tests: You can find diagnostic and practice tests online through The Collge Board ,the ACT, and many test prep companies.
Register to take your first test in the spring of junior year.
2. Academics With Purpose
Your transcript tells colleges who you are as a student. If you feel like your current transcript could use some improvement, use the following tips to make changes before your applications are due next year:
Boost Even Just One Grade: Increasing a B+ to A- in a core subject shows growth colleges appreciate.
Plan Ahead With Course Selections: Match challenging courses and electives to your target majors
Teacher Recommendation Requests: Ask two content area teachers if they’d be willing to write recommendations for you to submit with your applications.
3. College Research That Goes Beyond Rankings Lists
Think like a consumer and find colleges that will fit your needs and interests rather than making your list based on the latest rankings in publications like U.S. News & World Report’s. Think about the academic areas you want to study, the social and extracurricular opportunities you might enjoy, and consider your budget.
Begin your research with a search engine like College Navigator
Watch a few episodes of The College Tour
Begin watching virtual tours through individual college websites or on YouTube
Register for tours of at least three campuses you’ll visit this spring or summer
4. Extracurricular Depth: Quality > Quantity
Admissions officers like to see sustained involvement and impact in an activities list. Think about how you can become more deeply involved with your extracurriculars to show
Community Connection: If you are already involved in an activity you care deeply about, take it to the next level by sharing your skills with younger kids as a coach or mentor. If you have a skill or passion that can help out in other ways in your community, find a way to volunteer and use your talent to make your community a better place or just make someone’s day a little brighter.
Career Exploration: Find ways to explore a possible career path through job shadowing, volunteering, or an internship. Securing and maintaining part-time or summer employment in any field also shows responsibility, leadership, and maturity that colleges appreciate.
5. Application Prepararion
Avoid the fall application scramble by spending a few minutes each week this spring and summer working on the following tasks:
Activities List: Start a list of your extracurriculars, including volunteering, employment, arts, sports, and any hobbies. Write short descriptions of your responsibilities, impact, and what you enjoy about each activity.
Common App: Become familiar with the Common Application used by most colleges across the country (and even a few international universities). The AXS Companion is a fantastic resource that guides you through each section of the application.
Essay Brainstorming: Start working on a running list of topics you could develop into your Personal Statement. think about highlighting a characteristic that tells the reader who you are as a person or as a thinker/student rather than highlighting an accomplishment. The topic does not have to be tragic or groundbreaking. Small-moment stories make great essays. Think about what you’d like the reader to know about you besides your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars — they’ll gain that information from the rest of your application.
If you feel like you need personalized guidance, read about some of the services we offer or schedule a consultation to learn how we can work together.
