ATTENTION ALL JUNIORS! IT’S COLLEGE TIME!
By: Belinda M. Gonzalez-Leon, Ed.D., MBA
Educational Consultant
January is the month that high school juniors should start seriously planning their college steps. They are halfway through the academic year; they have enough math to take standardized tests; and college applications open in less than eight months. As juniors wrap up the first semester, college prep can begin in earnest so that senior year is not so stressful.
If juniors can get their standardized testing out of the way before senior year, then the focus can be on college applications and essays instead of test prep! The SAT, for example, offers a test date in March. Juniors can take the exam as early as March with several more opportunities before senior year starts in late August. The test should be taken approximately three times. Having at least two test scores allows the student to have a solid list of colleges based on average scores listed by the university for acceptance.
With the help of test scores, a Junior can now finalize their college list. Juniors should have a list of less than a dozen colleges that they want to apply to. The list should include schools that are easy to get into, challenging, and in between. This means that schools should have been researched and visited during the first three years of high school. Using the list, a student can create a chart of needed GPA and test scores per school to confirm the school is attainable – or the student now needs to set some goals! Over the summer, the list can be updated with specific college deadlines as they are announced.
Most college scholarships are for high school seniors, but as a junior, a student can start researching to create a list of scholarships for the upcoming year. If the student knows that on March 1st a scholarship opens up- then put it on the calendar! Students can prepare scholarship essays or recommendation letters ahead of time. There are many search engines to find scholarships so a student can create a timeline of when to start and submit applications.
The Common Application asks for a 650-word essay. Students can start working on the essay early so they have time to think and craft a good one. This also allows English teachers time to review the essays now that seniors are done with their applications. There are also supplemental essays which are shorter but just as important. All essays can be prepared ahead of time to have a well-written document as well as a finished document.
Juniors need to get the best grades possible. When college applications open on August 1st, right before classes start, the GPA that will be reported is the one earned through the end of junior year. The senior year GPA will be updated at the end of January and that will be looked at by colleges, but decisions will be made based on the Junior year GPA.
If a student starts taking the right steps mid-way during junior year, they can get everything lined up so that on August 1st, they are ready to fill in applications and submit them. Plus, having things prepared beforehand will allow for less stress and more enjoyment of all the senior year festivities. A last-minute rush will not produce the best application- so starting in January of junior year will lead to a finish by Thanksgiving of senior year!