It is now the Spring semester of your junior year in high school and applying to college seems like it is a long way off. However, it will be here before you know it . To ease the stress of everything that’s involved in applying to college, here are 5 things to do before senior year:
1. Create List of Colleges
Develop a list of colleges that you are interested in attending. Sign up on their websites to receive information and follow them on social media. Schedule time to visit college campuses, ideally when school is in session, but if that’s not possible, then visit in the summer.
2. Testing and Test Prep
Take the SAT or ACT in your junior year. This gives you time to retake it if needed, get a tutor, and study for areas that need improvement.
3. Research Scholarships
Research scholarships relevant to your academics and interests. Scholarships can require a great deal of work and be extremely competitive so beginning research early can be helpful to reduce the stress during your senior year.
4. Essay Writing
In the summer after junior year, begin writing your essays. Create essays that communicate information about you to admissions reps that they are not able to discern from your application.
5. Complete the Common Application
A few weeks before senior year begins, if you are applying to schools that use the Common Application, complete as much of that application as possible. If the schools you are applying to do not use the Common App, then complete applications for two of the colleges or universities that you want to apply to.
Many college applications can take several hours to complete. You want to create applications that help you to stand out from the competition, so beginning with preliminary work in your junior year can certainly help you to not become overwhelmed during your senior year.
If you need help with applying to college, please contact us to get started.