Tips for Junior Year
Juniors,
The year is rapidly coming to a close, and Senior year is on the horizon. As you are thinking about the upcoming summer and year, we want to make sure we share some tips and tricks to help you feel more prepared for the college application journey. If you are hoping to go to university/college after high school, here are some tasks you can get done starting this semester.
1. Start working on your essay.
I know that the fall seems like a while away, but the essay is one aspect of the application process that takes time. Writing your college essay is unlike any other essay you have probably written. Due to the nature of the essay, it requires a specific combination of highlighting who you are and being well written, all while keeping your audience in mind. When writing the essay, it is important to take time to reflect and think through the way you want to demonstrate who you are through an essay.
Learning more about yourself requires self-reflection, a process doesn’t always come easily. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you work on your essay question(s).
What do you care about? Oftentimes, the essay questions try to get to the core of what you care about. These questions might ask you about how you spend your time or what you think about the most. As you reflect, think about your priorities, how you spend your time, what you work on that isn’t required of you. Then, take it a step deeper and think about why you decide to spend your time in those ways.
What do you want for your future? This does not mean that you need to know the exact major and job you’d like to have, but to think broader about your values and what you think might be important to you as you grow.
What struggles have you faced? This particular question can be challenging, but the essay questions usually lend themselves to reflecting on how your personal hardships in life have led you to growth. These challenges can be a range of depth, including being rejected from a sports team, to dealing with loss, to navigating life with a learning difference and/or disability. Regardless of the challenge, the questions typically lend themselves to demonstrating how you have learned from the experience and how you hope to take those lessons into the future.
As you are writing, do your best to: fully answer every part of the prompt, demonstrate growth, and work with someone to help you through the process. Here are the upcoming prompts from the Common App – check it out to get started!
https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2022-2023-common-app-essay-prompts
2. Take the ACT/SAT.
Though many institutions have moved towards test-optional, Florida state schools still require these tests. Furthermore, they are required for Bright Futures eligibility and various merit-based scholarships at other institutions. In order to feel prepared, taking the ACT and/or SAT this summer will help you determine where you need to spend your time and how you need to study personally. To learn more about why it’s important to study, check out our blog from last summer!
Here are the links to register for the upcoming tests:
3. Check out colleges/universities this summer.
As you are looking at colleges and universities, you want to think about multiple aspects of the college. These include, but aren’t limited to: the location, the size, the majors offered, the rigor, research opportunities, financial aid packages, and recreation.
Narrowing the scope of colleges on your list can reduce your stress. Here are some more questions to think about as you look at your college list.
What interests you? Look at the majors, clubs, job opportunities, and research opportunities at the institution.
What type of institution? Do you want a small or large class size? A religious institution or military? Public or private?
Where do you want to live? Urban city or suburban town? Do you care about food options in the area, or what people do for fun on the weekends?
Once you spend some time thinking about your goals and hopes for college, be sure to bring in those who care about you in the process. After some reflection, you can visit these colleges to demonstrate interest and have your questions answered. Spending time on the campus can help you envision whether or not you’d thrive in that environment. As in-person visits aren’t always accessible, know that many institutions now offer virtual tours as an option – summer is a great time to get started! I know it might not sound important, but finding a way to visit and engage (whether in person or virtually) is an incredibly helpful part of the process, especially because what is a best-fit for you is personal. Finding a college is an individual experience and is unique for each person – figuring out what is best for you takes time and is a process.
4. Take a deep breath!
I know I just shared a lot of information and it isn’t even Senior Year yet. I encourage you to take a deep breath and know that there are resources out there to support you. Though there is plenty to think about, take it one step at a time.
If seeing all that has to be done can be overwhelming, reach out to your guidance counselor and seek the resources at your local school. If you’d like some guidance on how to take the next steps on this journey, or just want a quick chat on how to get started, feel free to give us a call – we’d love to point you in the right direction.
We hope that all is well as you finish out the school year – good luck on AP exams and finish the year as strong as you can!