College Planning Checklist - Junior Year

This is another in my series of college planning checklists.  This one is for high school juniors. 

Junior Year Checklist·        This year's academic record will go a long way toward either helping or hurting your chances of gaining admission or earning scholarships at your schools of choice. You can make up ground if you've been slacking off and you can keep up the hard work you've already exhibited. 

  • Study hard and do well in school – Remember, your grades will count toward college and will show up on your permanent record.  Grades this year will determine your GPA and rank in class that will be reported to all schools you apply to in the fall of your senior year. 
  • Take solid elective courses (extra math, science, foreign language, social sciences, computers, etc.), and take more than you have to.
  • Volunteer to help someone a year older than you locate scholarship information with the understanding that you’ll get all their information when they’re through.
  • Take the PSAT in October (this one is to qualify for National Merit Scholarship Competition). It can be very important.
  • Attend an ACT/SAT preparation workshop (if you can't, you should purchase practice books, software, etc. to help you prepare)
  • Take the ACT and/or SAT during the spring semester. That way you'll have at least one score going into your senior year. This also puts you on schools’ mailing lists and gives significant information to the schools you are considering.
  • Research possible colleges and request or download information from them, read their student blogs, sign up for their podcasts, etc.
  • Run for leadership positions within the organizations in which you are involved
  • Meet with your high school counselor to discuss major options and plans for your senior year.
  • Ask your counselor for suggestions as to colleges you should consider but might not have thought of on your own (based on major, scholarships, location, etc.)
  • Get to know the admission and scholarship requirements for your top schools. Know where you stand in relation to those requirements and work toward changing what you can (if you fall short).
  • Visit as many college campuses as you can.  This will help you start to isolate things you like and don’t like about colleges, and help you start to focus on particular types of campuses.

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