Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Junior Year

Planning for a life after high school really needs to ramp up during junior year. The most important aspect of that is standardized testing. Remember, the two primary elements that are going to decide which college and university a student will be admitted to are their GPA and SAT or ACT scores. It is generally advisable to take the tests more than once and scores do typically rise from one testing to the next, at least to a point. I also think it is worth noting that I've never heard of a college averaging test scores if you take it too many times though this seems to be a pervasive rumor among parents. I like to see juniors take a test in the fall, a different test (SAT or ACT) in the winter, then another of the "fall" test in the spring or summer. Most people will find they like one test more than the other so I recommended students take the preferred test again at the first administration in fall of senior year. A student may even consider mixing in another test during the latter half of junior year.
        Obviously grades need to be of concern during junior year and students need to perform
well in the classroom. They also need to challenge themselves appropriately
with rigorous classes and look at taking classes in science, math, and world languages
beyond minimum requirements.
        Junior year is also about shoring up your resume. If students have not been involved
in anything, now is the time to do something. Colleges understand that not
everyone can be senior class president, and you don't have to be student of the
year to get into college. However, colleges do look for students who are not
bumps on logs and do a little more than sit around playing video games or
texting their friends.
        Of course students need to be winnowing down the list of colleges they'll be
applying to in fall of senior year. Those test scores will provide some insight
into the schools for which a student will be competitive for admissions. You
can use the College Board's college search engine at collegeboard.com to match
up your numbers with those of the colleges.
        Finally,11th grade students should really be visiting and touring the colleges at the
top of their list. Even if a student has grown up attending football games or
visiting a friend or relative on campus, it's a good idea to take an official
tour. Most people wouldn't buy a house or rent an apartment without seeing it
in person and choosing a college is no different. Fall Break, Winter Break,
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Spring Break--whenever--get in the car and go. That
can make a huge difference in preparing the list of schools you'll apply to.
        Junior year is jam packed. Students and families need to be prepared for some
"life homework" in addition to their regular responsibilities in order to meet their goals after high school and have a smooth transition.