Junior year: The best time to start preparing for the college admissions process

As students begin the school year, high school juniors may start becoming more aware of colleges, choices and college rankings. Here are some tips to for students to make the most of their junior year:

1) Standardized Tests

The best advice anyone can give a high school junior is to complete ALL standardized tests by the end of their junior year. These include the ACT, the SAT, and SAT Subject Tests. Countless students before you made the mistake of talking letting the tests linger over the summer. What seems prudent during one’s junior year transforms into a disaster in the fall when so many other responsibilities demand attention. Plan ahead and take all the tests before summer starts so you can spend your summer reflecting on colleges and the essays that accompany the applications.

2) Grades & Classes

Everyone has heard that one’s junior year grades are the most important and it’s true. Nothing is more significant than how a student performs during his or her junior year. Why? By the time students reach their junior year in high school they have settled into a routine and matured to the point that colleges can ascertain how they will perform in college. The courses are more demanding and colleges want to see how students handle the pressure. Also, the classes students take speak volumes about their level of motivation and extent of their intellectual curiosity. If a student receives an A in a class as a sophomore, the student should select a more demanding class the following year. Otherwise, college admissions officers see right through the ruse: the student opted for the easy A and evaded the challenge of a more difficult class. What does that choice say about the student’s character?

3) Teacher Recommendations

In high school students do not want others to consider them the “teacher’s pet”. But guess what? The teacher’s pet secures the best college recommendations. In many cases a student genuinely possesses an interest in a class and pursues that curiosity outside the classroom. Other times, students fake a deeper interest just to impress a teacher; this is not an advisable course to take. Students should pursue academic areas that interest them to the fullest extent possible. If a student shares an intellectual interest with a teacher, naturally the more the teacher will consider the student a “good student”, a “dedicated student” and “a student who always goes beyond what is expected.” On the flip side, the students who huddle in the back of the room and barely speak to teachers all year will find themselves in a rather stressful place when it’s time to request teacher recommendations. Ultimately, let’s face it: if a high school teacher cannot vouch for you, why would a college want you in their classrooms? What can you offer to the discussion?

4) Activities

The way in which students spend their time outside the classroom serves as a testimony to their moral fiber. Students often assume that involvement in as many activities as humanly possible renders the ticket into college. Wrong! This misnomer pervades the high school student’s brain, but the inaccuracy of this type of thinking can lead to a student’s downfall (at least as far as gaining admission into college). French philosopher Denis Diderot wrote, “Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.” When beginning the junior year, students should assess their activities and reflect on whether or not the activities in which they participate offer a depiction of their interests and passions. If not, students need to straighten out their priorities fast. Colleges want people who remain dedicated to one interest; the activities in which they participate should have a common thread that binds them together and culminate to present a person dedicated to a passion.

5) Take Advantage of Your Opportunities

This adage stands true for students during any year of high school – or any time in one’s life for that matter. College opens up a new world for most people and opportunities to try new things abound. Since past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior, admissions officers look for students who step out of their comfort zone and seek new experiences. Students who choose to ignore opportunities do not appeal to admissions officers. Colleges seek students who will bring diverse viewpoints and experiences to the campus. They also want to bring students to the school who will get involved. If students do not make the most of their opportunities during high school then chances are they will do the same not only in college, but throughout their lives. Colleges do not accept students who most likely will not contribute to life on the campus or make a difference in the world when their college years end.

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