WHAT should i be doing?
1. Start making your college list!
2. Get involved with an activity or consider a leadership role
3. Go on In-Person or Virtual College Visits
4. Attend a College Fair
5. Choose teachers to write your recommendation letters
6. Consider signing up for the SAT/ACT
7. If you need assistance, please visit the GO Center in Room 1112
- Whether you’ve been researching colleges since you were a ninth-grader or you’re at the beginning of your college search, spring of junior year is a good time to research colleges for your college list.
2. Get involved with an activity or consider a leadership role
- Staying involved in your extracurriculars can be challenging junior year, especially if you are taking challenging courses. But, your activities and extracurriculars can demonstrate your interests outside of class and can provide an opportunity for you to show leadership. If you haven’t participated in any activities, now is the time to get involved — whether it’s with a club, a team, a community organization, or your church
3. Go on In-Person or Virtual College Visits
- If possible, go on a few college visits, even if it's only to some campuses in your local area. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges cancelled in-person tours but expanded their online and virtual offerings to help students experience their campuses remotely. At most colleges, you’ll find virtual tours that take you around campus and into residential halls, classrooms, and more.
4. Attend a College Fair
- College fairs (virtual and in-person) can be a great way to learn about colleges and connect with admission reps. It’s important to plan ahead for a college fair so you can make the most of your time.
5. Choose teachers to write your recommendation letters
- Many college applications require one or more letters of recommendation from teachers and/or guidance counselors. Be sure you know which colleges on your list require recommendation letters and from whom they require them. Some colleges ask for letters from more than one teacher as well as a counselor. Many teachers prefer that you ask them for a recommendation before the end of your junior year so they have the summer to work on it.
6. Consider signing up for the SAT/ACT
- Although thousands of colleges have adopted test-optional admissions, counselors still advise students to take these tests, especially students who are applying to highly selective schools. “Test-optional” colleges will consider your test scores if you submit them, and if you score well on the SAT or ACT, submitting scores can work in your favor.
7. If you need assistance, please visit the GO Center in Room 1112