Juniors, here are some items to consider for post-secondary planning:

• Think critically about your senior year courses. Will you add rigor?  Will you take classes that are associated with your intended major? Will you be able to enjoy your senior year with the added stress of applying to college?

• Prepare for the school day SAT in April and determine if you'll test again this spring- after school free test prep is a free avenue to improve your score

  •  If you hope to submit test scores as a part of your application, sign up for another test date on CollegeBoard

• Join a club or get involved in something new that inspires you!

• Activities List/Resume - Start compiling a Google Doc of your volunteer activities, extracurricular activities, work experience, and honors/awards you have received. Update it as you join something new or make a change. Log the number of hours/week and the number of weeks/year you are spending in your activities. You will thank yourself senior year if you start this now! Click here for some college resume templates from the College Essay Guy.

• Can you get a summer job connected to your area of academic interest or just get a summer job to add to your activities list?

• Consider taking the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) in early February as a measure of your strengths and natural abilities - additional dates offered at other high schools. 

• Work hard to do your best! Junior year grades are important on your transcript so stay on top of your assignments and seek help if you need it.

• Before the end of your junior year secure commitments from your 2 teacher recommenders. (Get to know your teachers, contribute and ask thoughtful questions in class, do your homework, help your classmates and get to know your teachers!  - all of these things makes for a strong letter of recommendation)

• Determine if your colleges require a counselor letter of recommendation. If so, schedule an appointment with your school counselor. Do your research on the school's admissions page and ask well in advance if your counselor must write a letter for you. Be prepared to provide an activities list, a parent brag sheet or have a meeting to share your brilliance with them!

•  Get on campuses to decide what you like and dislike about them. This will help guide your decision making. Book visits right on college websites. Take advantage of open weekends or spring break to visit colleges. Visit a variety of schools (big/small/city/rural, etc.) to get a stronger sense of what you find appealing. And try to visit when school is still in session! It's a lot easier to get a sense of culture when students are on campus!

  • The College Tour or Virtual Tours are terrific alternatives if you can't make an in-person visit happen.

• Check in with me when you have questions!

Families, here's an idea: print this list and individually rank order the importance of each of these components! this can be a terrific conversation starter to assist in determining what the student values and how it may align or differ from Parent priorities.

30 Things to Rank When Building Your College List

• Immediate area around the college - walkable, cute downtown, outdoorsy, etc.

• Campus beauty/architecture/campus feel  - self-contained or protected campus or a campus that bleeds into a city, architectural appeal, etc.

• Career outcomes - what happens to graduates after they leave the school, mid-career, job placement rates, types of jobs, jobs in my areas of interest

• Class size

• Clubs, sports and extracurriculars I like

• College rankings, selectivity, prestige, name recognition

• College setting -Large city, small city, suburban, collegetown, remote/rural

• Cost affordability

• Distance from home

• Diversity -  including socioeconomics, public/private school students, international students, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, etc.

• Experiential learning - high impact experiences (co-ops internships, research, learning by doing, study abroad)

•  Facilities - classrooms, labs, libraries, rec centers, etc.

• Financial resources and financial wealth of the institution - institution’s financial stability, increasing enrollment, does school have ability to have robust services, low adult/student ratios, not cutting programs or majors, well-kept grounds, etc.

• Food quality

• Fraternities and sororities

• Friendliness  - of culture, student body, adults on campus

• Graduation rates & retention rates

• Housing options - ample space, different style dorms, a/c, etc.

• My type of kid attends the college - do you see your people?

• Nature & green spaces - quad, trees, etc.

• Overall academic excellence

• Political climate

• Religious affiliation and religious culture

• Residential versus a commuter school

• Safety

• School size - tiny, small, medium, m/l, large (get on campuses)

• Sports & school spirit

• Strength in my major - how strong the program is in my area of study, curriculum, teaching, etc.

• Student & learning support - advising, academic success center, multicultural affairs, counseling, etc.

• Weather                                                                                                                                                                                               YCBK ep.492