High School Juniors Can Move Forward with Planning for College During Time of COVID-19

High school juniors who are sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 virus do not have to stop moving forward on their path to college. There are still many things that can be done to prepare for choosing colleges to apply to and getting ready for college applications. Here are five things to do to get a head start on your path to college.

1. Create a List of Colleges
   Create a list of colleges to apply to. If you are still in the process of researching colleges, you can look at college websites for information. There are also some helpful books including two that I recommend: Fiske Guide to Colleges, and Colleges that Change Lives.

2. Show Interest in Colleges on Your List
   Connect with colleges you are interested in by signing up for their emails. Like and follow them on social media. This helps to show that you are interested in these schools and will keep you updated on any virtual info sessions, webinars, or other outreach they are offering..

3. Start Writing your College Application Essay
   If you are going to be applying to colleges that accept the Common Application, you can start writing your essay. The essay prompts for 2020-2021 can be found on the Common App website.  Choose from one of the 7 prompts. Word length is a maximum of 650 words. Jot down ideas. Start writing. If you put several months of work into your essay instead of a few days, you are more likely to have an engaging, compelling essay. If you can complete your essay before senior year, you will be ahead of the game, and can considerably reduce the stress level that comes with senior year and all the work involved with college applications.

4. Prepare for the SAT or ACT
   ACT has rescheduled its April 4 national test date to June 13 across the U.S. Get updates on the ACT website. The CollegeBoard has canceled the May 2 SAT test date, as well as the makeup test dates for March. Keep up to date on cancellations, makeups, refunds, and more. Get updates on the CollegeBoard website.  While upcoming test dates have been cancelled, you can still spend time prepping for whichever test you are planning to take. There are several test prep resources online. In addition, there are SAT and ACT tutors who will work with you by Skype or other video conference platforms. Test scores are important so the time put into studying will pay off.

5. Create a Resume of Your High School Achievements
   Create a resume outlining your achievements in high school. This should include awards, leadership positions, community service/volunteering, jobs, internships, sports, music, and/or special skills. List what you did, and the amount of time per week that you were engaged in each activity, and the years you were involved in them. Having this information will help you when it comes time to complete the activity section of college applications.  Some applications as well as some scholarship applications will request that you include your resume.

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What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?

Are you confused about the differences between the SAT and the ACT? Not sure which test to take? Here’s what you need to know:

 What is the same on both the SAT and the ACT?

 1.     Colleges and universities throughout the U.S. accept both the ACT and the SAT as part of their requirements for admission.

 2.     Both tests have reading and math sections and offer an optional essay section. The essay score does not figure into your total score.

 3.     Both tests do not penalize test takers for incorrect answers. They use rights-only scoring meaning the score is the number of questions that were answered correctly.  

 What are the differences between the SAT and the ACT?

1.     The SAT is a longer test than the ACT. The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes without writing (essay) and 3 hours and 35 minutes with writing (essay). The SAT is 3 hours without the essay and 3 hours and 50 minutes with the essay.

2.     The ACT has a science section. The SAT does not have a science section.

3.     The ACT score is from 1-36. The total score is an average of the scores you receive on the four sections: English, Math, Reading, Science. The optional writing (essay) section uses a scale of 1-12, and is scored separately from the four previously mentioned sections.

4.     SAT scores range from 400 to 1600. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math sections each use a scale of 200-800. The EBRW score and the Math score are combined for a total score. So, if you scored 650 on EBRW and 580 on Math, your SAT score would be 1230. The Essay section score is from 1-8, and is separate from the EBRW and Math score.

5.     The fee to take the ACT is slightly more expensive than the SAT. The ACT fee is $52.00 without writing, and $68.00 with Writing. The SAT is $49.50 without the essay and $64.50 with the essay. Additional fees are added for late registrations. There are fee waivers available for some students.

For test dates, go to https://www.act.org/ for the ACT, or https://www.collegeboard.org/ for the SAT.

 For more information, or to get help with navigating the college application process, please contact us.   

High School Juniors –Start Preparing Now for College Applications

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.  

High School Seniors: Create a Schedule to Ease the Stress of College Applications

If you are a senior in high school it’s time to get started on your college applications. It’s helpful to create a weekly schedule or checklist of what you will accomplish each week during the college application process.

Create an Excel sheet or Google doc that lists each college, its application deadlines and materials needed to apply. These will include items such as:

• ·       Early decision and regular decision deadlines
• ·       SAT Subject test requirements
• ·       Essay requirements
• ·       Common app or the college’s own application
• ·       Portfolio requirements-usually for art, theater, and music applicants

You may also want to include what the average G.P.A and SAT or ACT scores are for each college or university, and the percentage of students that are admitted. This will help you to determine whether the school you are applying to is a safety, match, or reach school. I often recommend that students apply to three safety schools, three match schools, and one or two reach schools.

Depending on the colleges or universities you are applying to, and the major you are applying to, there are often supplemental essays.

Before starting on your essays, make a list of your accomplishments in academic and extracurricular activities.  Areas that might be included are academic honors, school or other clubs, leadership positions, community service project and activities, sports, and jobs you’ve held.

While you may not have participated in all of the above, find areas that you have done well in and think of how you can stand out in those areas. Some schools will ask for examples of what makes you a stand-out student and this well help you prepare in advance.

You might also want to read: 10 Tips for Writing UC Personal Insight Answers

College Planning for High School Juniors

Author: Miriam Schaffer

As a high school junior, this is a very important year for planning for applying to college. You do not want to wait until your senior year to start thinking about how to have a stand-out college application. Here are some things that you should be doing now so that when it comes time to apply to college, you have as strong a profile as possible to present to college admissions reps.

Get The Best Grades Possible
The grades you get in your junior year are very important. Many colleges, including the University of California and most California state universitiies look at only your sophomore and junior year grades. So, you want to get the highest grades possible to keep your GPA high, or boost it up if you did not previously achieve high grades.

Choose Honors and AP Classes
When it's time to choose classes for your senior year, don't think it's a year when you can settle back and relax. Even though many colleges you apply to won't see your senior grades whent they read your application, you will be required to list the classes you are taking and the more you show that you are challenging yourself, the better. 

Communicate with your teachers and counselor
Many colleges require letters of recommendation from your teachers and counselor. While your high school may have you fill out a list of activities you've been involved in and list community service and other extracurricular interests, it's helpful if your counselor and some of your teachers have had conversations with you. Schedule an appointment with your counselor in the spring of your junior year and tell him or her that you'd like to let them know a little bit about you. Teachers can get to know you by your participation in class, as well as taking some time to talk to them after class or after school. 

Study for the ACT or SAT
If you have already taken the ACT or SAT, but feel you can score higher, then continue to study for them. You might want to consider getting an outside tutor or other help to boost your score. 

Visit Colleges
Take the time during a vacation in your junior year, or if there's no time in the year, then in the summer before senior year, to visit college campuses. You want to decide where to apply before senior year starts. College applications can take a significant amount of time, and along with your work load and activites at school, you don't want to be trying to cram in college visits during the fall of your senior year. Book a tour of the colleges you are visiting in advance so that you can see and hear about the college from a tour guide, and then be sure to attend an info session to hear from admissions reps. 

For more information, or to schedule an appointment to make a plan for applying to college, email:

• Written By: Miriam Schaffer
• January 02, 2017