A very common belief is that Junior Year is the
most critical period in a high school student’s career. In many ways this is
true since so much of what happens during this short span of time positions students
positively (or negatively) for college. Like so many other college counselors, I
could provide you with a list of to-do items, but I know that you have already
been flooded with this type of information.
What’s most important this year is becoming
self-aware of who you are and reflective about the ways by which you are being
shaped by various factors – your academic curriculum, extracurricular
experiences, the people within your network, and innate characteristics that
make you uniquely you. This coming-of-age story is one that colleges certainly hear
about in your essays, transcripts, standardized test scores, recommendations,
and resume.
With every passing day, you add more narrative to
your story, from the grades that you earn in classes, to the activities in which
you participate and the company you keep. Especially important this year, choose how you spend your time
wisely. There are many things due, with short windows of opportunity for completion.
Also discovering which colleges value your story,
thereby increasing your chance of admission is fundamental.
It’s time to take action and focus on the kind of
work it really takes to get into your top choice colleges. A successful junior
year is defined as:
- Earning top grades in challenging core academic subject areas (math, science, English, and social studies)
- Scoring your best on standardized exams, the PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT, IB, and Regents
- Involvement in a variety of activities at school and in your community
- Becoming familiar with potential colleges to apply to.
For students who love checklists, check out The New York Times The Choice Blog.
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