Juniors, if you want to have a more successful, less stressful application season next fall, here are five questions to start trying to answer now.
1. What classes will you take next year?
Any college you apply to this fall will ask you what classes you're taking as a senior. And while only a short list of the most selective colleges expect you to take “AP Everything,” challenging yourself and performing well in your senior year will help your chances of admission wherever you apply. Schedule a meeting with your counselor before you make this decision so you can discuss the right schedule for you based on the colleges you’re interested in.
2. Should you take any (more) standardized tests this spring?
Here’s a guideline courtesy of my friend Paul at The Princeton Review to help you decide which tests to take and when to take them. And here’s a past post to help you decide whether to retake the SAT or ACT.
3. Which teachers would you like to write your letters of recommendation?
The junior year is the most recent full-year of academic evidence a college can evaluate. That’s why most schools prefer you select teachers from your junior year to write your letters of recommendation. If you had to ask a teacher to write one for you today (you don’t, but play along), who would you ask, and what would they be able to say? Are you participating in class? Are you engaged and asking questions? Do you seem genuinely interested in the material? If not, you’ve still got one semester left to show potential rec-writers what kind of student you have the potential to be in college.
4. What colleges are right for you?
You’ve probably got some ideas about where you want to apply, but too many students wait until their senior year to seriously consider this question. Start now. Finding the right colleges to apply to is a process. You have to take the time to think about what you want from a college, do your research, and visit some schools. Delaying your search will inevitably lead to stress and application chaos. Starting now will let you enjoy the search without being rushed.
5. What are you going to do this summer?
I know—summer’s not exactly here yet. But some summer programs and even part-time jobs get filled early. Just remember that you don’t have to go to an expensive summer school at a prestigious college to impress admissions officers. Anything you do that’s productive, enjoyable, and outside the criminal code will be just fine. If you need suggestions, here’s a past post.