Tips for High School Juniors

Fall:

• Be sure your course program contains rigor! Colleges like to see an upward trend in difficulty of course work and grades. They look for students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity in their course choices.
  
• Register for and take the PSAT: taking the PSAT in the fall of your junior year will give you a good indication of how prepared you are for the SAT. You can use these results to help you study for the SAT in the spring.
  
• Take a practice ACT test if possible. Many high schools and test prep companies give a practice test or SAT/ACT diagnostic test. You can use these results to determine which test you will do better on.
  
• Continue with your extra-curricular activities. Look for leadership opportunities!
  
• Keep working on your studies, your junior grades will be the last posted before you apply to colleges.
  
• Attend local college fairs.
  
• If you haven’t already, get to know your high school college counselor. They are a tremendous resource for you right at school. They will also be writing letters for you; they need to know you to have something to say!
  

Winter:

• Start exploring majors and the general direction you would like to head academically. Are you whiz at math or science, or are you more interested in the humanities?
  
• If you have Naviance, take the personality test and interest inventory. It’s a good place to start getting ideas about what you want to study and what career paths you may want to pursue.
  
• When planning courses your senior year, be sure to continue with the same rigor you have demonstrated in the past. Colleges look at planned coursework, even if there are no grades to report yet.
  
• Decide which test you are going to pursue and prepare for. All colleges take both the SAT and ACT. Choose the test you will do better on.
  
• Register for a spring administration of the ACT or SAT. Check the websites for dates.
  
• Register for your AP tests and SAT subject tests, (you’ll want to take these at the end of the course).
  
• Think about what characteristics you want in a college, start some online research.
  
• Attend local college fairs.
  
• Parents—have a conversation with your student about who is paying for college and how much you can afford. You want your child to be realistic about finances and not be disappointed when they find out their dream school is too expensive.
  

Spring: 

• Tests, tests, and more tests: AP testing in May, SAT subject tests in June. The ACT is offered in April and June, the SAT is offered in March, May and June.
  
• You should plan on touring colleges over spring break. 
  
• Attend local college fairs.
  
• Start your college list.
  
• Update your Naviance account or college resume.
  

Summer:

• It’s time to start your college essays! 
  
• Tour more colleges.
  
• Keep your activities going. If you haven’t had a job, now is a great time to get one.
  
• Start your Common App and UC App, they go live August 1.
  
• Take a class at the community college to bolster the rigor of your coursework.
  
• Take charge of a project --demonstrate leadership!
  
• Do prep for the ACT or SAT if you were not satisfied with your spring scores.
  
• Take a vacation—it’s summer! (You might even find something to write about.)
  
• Register for fall tests.

Beth Coyle can help identify which schools are your best fit academically, socially, and financially.

Please give me a call to discuss how Coyle College Advising can help you understand all your options.

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