How To Prepare For College Apps As A Junior
If you are a junior in high school, this post is for you!
It’s always good to get a head start to save yourself time and stress by preparing.
Here are a few tips to help prepare yourself for applying to college your senior year.
Prepare For Your ACT/SAT
Rather than waiting till the senior year, preparing for the ACT/SAT now is worth it.
Getting a head start will only give you more time to study regardless of which test you take. With time on your side, your chances of getting a good score go up significantly.
Additionally, there is the advantage of getting a more extended time period to choose precisely when you want to take the test. This lets you have room for any retakes without stressing about getting in your scores before college application deadlines.
Researching Potential College Majors
When applying for colleges, you often put down an intended major you want to pursue. While you don’t need to have one set in stone, it will help to have some direction in what academic field of study you are headed towards.
Having some college majors in mind will make choosing a list of colleges to apply to much easier. This is because you can research colleges while factoring in their academic programs for your potential major(s).
If you are having trouble researching majors, check out this blog post: How to Choose Your College Major.
Internship/Extracurriculars
By their junior years, most students are already part of some extracurricular. Extracurriculars include clubs, sports, volunteering opportunities, etc.
If you haven’t, it’s a good time to start considering what clubs to participate in. Extracurriculars look good on college apps and allow students to show their involvement and strengths outside the classroom. Moreover, they also help students discover skills and potential careers/majors they want to pursue.
Furthermore, junior year is an excellent time to also look into internships. Internships are fantastic opportunities to get hands-on experience in a career you may want to pursue. It will give you more insight into that professional job. For example, I shadowed a doctor during my high school career to see what that healthcare career looked like. It’s well worth it to try and get an internship and ensure you intern with a professional in a career you are interested in.
Picking Classes For Senior Year
As a junior, you get to pick your senior classes. Every high school does this differently, but most students do have some control over some of their classes.
Take classes that pertain to the majors you may want to pursue because it will give you an idea of the coursework.
Also, take classes you know you will enjoy because it is senior year. Often you learn new and unique skills from classes that are different from the traditional ones everyone takes.
College List
It’s never too early to start making your college list. I always suggest making an extensive list of colleges you want to attend and then narrowing it down later.
Having an ideal college list will make your life a little easier once you are ready to apply to colleges since you have a starting point.
Attending College Information Session and College Tours
The best way to get the most insight into potential colleges is by attending their information sessions and tours.
You can find out the dates each college holds theirs by going to their respective websites.
Take notes and ask questions during these sessions and tours because you will find that very helpful when finalizing decisions regarding your college applications.
Don’t Forget To Focus On School
I know it can be a lot on a student’s plate to juggle preparing for your college applications and doing school, but don’t forget to finish your classes off strong.
Time management will be your best friend, but trust me; I know it’s easier said than done.
Do your best and prioritize school while making a bit of time each week to do some college work.
These are steps you can take during your junior year to get a head start on college applications!