Twelve Steps Proactive Juniors Take to Set Themselves Up for a Successful College Admissions Process

Twelve Steps Proactive Juniors Take to Set Themselves Up for a Successful College Admissions Process

Winter break is over; students are back in class. College-bound juniors should be working to empower themselves for a successful college application process. Delving straight into the college application process as soon as school is out for the summer will ensure a strategic, purposeful, lower-stress college admissions process.  

Follow These 12 Steps to Promote a Successful College Admissions Process

ONE: Work Hard in School: First and Foremost

For many college applicants, junior year grades are the most current grades colleges will have in hand when reviewing their applications. For this reason, students should work strategically to finish strong and troubleshoot weaknesses by analyzing their academic strategies and asking teachers for help. Students taking Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes should aim for high scores on AP and IB tests to assist in the college admissions process and potentially earn college credit. Finally, consider if increasing academic rigor during senior year is appropriate.

💡Expert Tip: The high school transcript is the foundation of your college applications. In the absence of strong grades, the rest loses meaning.

TWO: Consider Hiring an Independent College Admissions Counselor: Work with an Expert

There are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, many of which are outstanding, some of which many have never heard of, and the most competitive colleges and universities are more competitive than ever. Every college has its own nuanced application process and requirements. Students and parents are inundated with marketing materials. College is expensive; thus, graduating in four years should be prioritized during the application process. 

Investing in an expert to guide you in an increasingly complex process that culminates in spending from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars is wise.

Read 5 Smart & Fiscal Reasons to Hire an Independent College Consultant to see if hiring an Independent College Admissions Consultant makes sense for you.

💡Expert Tip: Avoid independent education consultants who are not HIGHLY QUALIFIED

THREE: ACT or SAT? Make and Execute a Strategic Plan

Although most colleges are test-optional, submitting a test score is advantageous for many students. Ideally, students will achieve their desired score by the end of junior year. A strategic plan should include the following seven steps: 

1. Determine whether the ACT or the SAT is the better-fit test by taking the MindPrint Cognitive Assessment (read, Must I take both the SAT AND the ACT? ABSOLUTELY NOT & How Do I Know if the SAT or ACT is Right for Me? Find Out in 1 hour!
2. Sign up for the SAT HERE or the ACT HERE

3. Set a score goal 

4. Consider test prep with a test prep professional who understands and matches your learning style (avoid the one-size-fits-all approach)

5. Make a comprehensive practice plan that maximizes the chances of reaching your goal and stick to it 

6. Take test

7. Evaluate scores and decide if you want to take it again

💡Expert Tip: Don’t waste time and resources on both tests.

FOUR: Get to Know Your High School Counselor: Stand Out from the Crowd

Many colleges require a recommendation letter from a high school counselor. Since the average high school counselor in the U.S. has 408 students on their caseload, far above the 250 recommended by the ASCA, it is on you to ensure sure they actually know you. Make an appointment to sit down to get to know them:  give them a copy of your resume and a brief description of who you are outside of the classroom. Providing your counselor with information about the multi-dimensional person you are will help make their jobs easier and likely result in a more personalized (i.e., stronger) recommendation letter that is more than a generic “copy-and-paste.”

💡Expert Tip: Set up a meeting ASAP and arrange a series of follow-up meetings.

FIVE: Extracurricular Activities: Quality Over Quantity

Junior year is the time to focus on, perhaps even narrow, the scope of your extracurricular activities. Involvement in extracurricular activities, from sports to fine arts to volunteering to work, should reflect your passions, interests, and values, thus providing meaningful information about who you are to college admissions officers. Junior year is also the time to either assume leadership roles or plan to take over such roles during senior year. Ultimately, demonstrating commitment over time and making an impact in whatever you choose to do will result in personal growth. Importantly, for college applicants, it will also position you to tell powerful stories in your college essays.

💡Expert Tip: Less can be more.

SIX: Visit College Campuses: Feel the Vibe and Demonstrate Interest

Look at your school calendar and carve out some days and times to visit and tour colleges, ideally while classes are in session. In addition to attending college information sessions and tours, consider more novel ways to get to know colleges: for example, sit in on a class (if permitted), eat in the cafeteria, and talk to students about their experiences. Where in-person visits are not possible, some colleges offer virtual tours, information sessions, and other opportunities to engage with the institution. For colleges that consider demonstrated interest in the admissions process, engaging in person and/or virtually is a must! 

💡Expert Tip: Plan ahead. Tours and information sessions fill up fast on days when school is out.

SEVEN: Build a Preliminary List of Colleges: Know What Fit Means for You

Junior year is the best time to create and/or refine your college list. Ideally, by the end of 11th grade, your list will be balanced and only contain colleges you feel are a good fit for you. Make sure that your list includes colleges that you are highly likely to be admitted to and that are affordable for you and your family (including a public school where you qualify for in-state tuition). At this point, your college list may be larger than those to which you ultimately apply, but it should contain at least eight to ten colleges where you feel confident you will thrive.

💡Expert Tip: To learn more about creating a balanced college list of good-fit schools, read Four Steps to Making a Balanced College List and Don't Be a Square Peg in a Round Hole: 5 Ways to Identify “Good-Fit” Colleges

EIGHT: Ask Teachers to be Your College Recommenders: Choose Wisely 

Before the end of the school year, decide which teachers have the potential to write you the strongest college recommendations. By ensuring that you have a strong rapport with your teachers, your recommenders will be able to speak to your academic and character strengths. Be prepared to provide an updated resume and a brief description of who you are outside of the classroom. Providing your recommenders with information about the multi-dimensional person you are will not just make their jobs easier but likely result in a more personalized (i.e., stronger) recommendation letter. 

💡Expert Tip: Select core class teachers.

NINE: Explore Your Interests: Gain Some Sense of Direction

It is common and perfectly acceptable to have no clue what you want to study in college or what career you plan to pursue. That said, spending some time delving into your interests, personality, and values will help you better identify the best schools for you and maximize your chances of graduating in four years.

💡Expert Tip: Read, Clueless About What to Major In? Three Simple Steps to Help Students get a Sense of Direction

TEN: Check out Common App/Coalition essay topics

The 2023-2024 Common and Coalition application essay prompts should be confirmed in the spring: use them! In my experience, the best college essays are authentic, personal, and deep, reflecting core values. Since most of the topics require students to delve deep into topics they may never even have thought about, why not preview the questions now to create the opportunity for meaningful reflection?

💡Expert Tip: Resist ChatGPT and other AI. Essays written by AI are generic, impersonal, and boring; they will not help you get into competitive colleges. More importantly, it is unethical to present work composed by AI as your own.

ELEVEN: Plan Your Summer: Relax and Evolve 

Summer vacation is long: ample time to chill and engage in activities that promote personal growth. Creating meaningful opportunities makes you a more well-rounded person and, by extension, will increase the quality of your college applications. Ideas include: getting a job, volunteering, shadowing a professional, connecting with a college faculty member, conducting research, getting in shape, taking an online class, spending time on Duo Lingo, etc. Having trouble coming up with ideas? 

💡Expert Tip: Get inspired by reading 12 Ways to have a Fun AND Meaningful Summer 

TWELVE:  Last But Not Least: Value Yourself

Avoid getting caught up in what feels like a sense of mass hysteria over college applications. Everyone seems to be an expert on where you should go to college, what it takes to get in, and why you should go there. Remember, you are way more than the sum of your grades and test scores, and it is less about where you go to college and more about what you do while you are there. 

💡Expert Tip: Stick with the facts and the data; rely on professionals; do not make decisions based on emotion.

Ultimately, investing some time during the remainder of junior year will empower you to have a manageable, relatively stress-free college application process and set you up for a positive senior year!

For more information on what you can do during junior year to set yourself up for a purposeful and successful college application experience or about anything related to the college admissions process, please contact me at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com.