College Planning

1. Create a 4 year high school plan & get a general idea of courses you want to take

2. Begin identifying your interests, likes, dislikes, etc.

3. Participate in extracurricular activities. Quality not quantity is key here.

4. Explore summer opportunities & volunteer opportunities

5. Take the PSAT in fall of your 9th and 10th grade years

6. Always strive for your academic best!

7. Meet with your school counselor if you have questions

Junior Jump-Start serves to do just that; jump-start HHS Juniors into post-secondary planning, whether that be attending college, joining a branch of the military, or joining the workforce. Counselors will meet with Junior students mid-way through the year to go over important planning items for their Senior year.

All Junior students are required to fill out a JJS Questionnaire via Google Forms (contact your counselor for the form link). Counselors use this packet to write letters of recommendation so students' time and efforts are appreciated.

Junior Year Timeline:

1. Continue to explore interests/careers/majors

2. Visit colleges! Try to get on campus

3. Develop a preliminary list of colleges you are interested in attending based on your interests and requirements. Think: size, majors available, location, distance from home, activities offered, etc.

4. Take the PSAT/NMSQT in fall of your junior year

5. Take/retake the ACT / SAT

6. Begin the conversation with your parents/guardians on paying for college

7. Let your counselor know if you are interested in participating in NCAA DI or DII sports

8. Schedule an appointment with your counselor

1. The application. Completed either directly through the university's website OR Common App.

2. Official High School Transcript. Requested through Naviance.

3. ACT and/or SAT test score- If required. Many colleges are moving to a test-optional format this year due to COVID and lack of testing dates this past spring.

4. Letters of recommendation from teachers- If letters are required and if so, how many, will depend on the school a student applies to.

5. Essays- Whether or not an essay is required will depend on the specific school's requirement.

Naviance is a web-based portfolio that helps students plan and organize their high school careers and keep track of the post-secondary application process.

To log in to Naviance, students should log in through Clever. Students should click here to get to the student portal and then click the Clever button.