What College Planning Activities Should High School Juniors Be Doing Now?

High school juniors should be actively preparing for college and taking the following steps:

1. Research colleges: Start researching colleges to determine which ones are a good fit and align with their academic and career interests. Students should consider what factors are important to them in a college experience.
2. Take standardized tests: Consider taking the SAT and ACT, and research college admission test requirements for colleges they are interested in attending. Even though many school are test-optional, students gain a bonus when they submit test scores.
3. Visit colleges: Plan campus visits to get a better understanding of the college atmosphere and culture. Students can only take virtual tours and attend virtual information sessions.
4. Get involved in extracurricular activities: Get involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, and community service, to build a well-rounded college application. Colleges also want to see leadership displayed in the activities students pursue out of school.
5. Meet with a school counselor: Meet with a school counselor to discuss academic performance and future plans, and to receive advice on the college application process.
6. Prepare for the college application process: Start preparing for the college application process by organizing transcripts, test scores, and recommendations, and researching application requirements and deadlines.
7. Explore scholarship opportunities: Research scholarships and other forms of financial aid to help pay for college. Keep in mind that colleges are going to be the best source of scholarships. Look for local scholarships because there is less competition than national ones.
8. Consider summer programs: Consider attending summer programs or camps to gain additional experience in their area of interest and improve their college application. Colleges always like to see students get a job in the summer.
9. Take challenging courses: Continue to take challenging courses in high school to demonstrate academic preparedness for college.
10. Stay organized: Keep track of college-related information and deadlines using a planner or online tool to stay organized and on track throughout the college planning process.

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Is Your High School Junior on Track with College Planning?

College admissions has changed dramatically this past eight months due to Covid-19. It is important that high school juniors get on track with their college planning in order to be prepared for the college application and admission process.

Although many colleges are test-optional for the class of 2021, that does not mean that colleges are test-blind. Most will still accept test scores from the SAT or ACT and consider them as part of the college application if they are submitted. Many colleges will also consider SAT and ACT scores for merit scholarships. For students who choose not to submit test scores, essays will carry more weight than ever before because they allow a school to determine how a student will contribute to theIr college community.

Colleges will be more flexible with who writes the recommendations, because they too will help a school get a picture of a student’s character, which is a big thing this year. Whether getting into college will be more difficult or easier for 2021or 2022 high school graduates remains to be seen. However, students need to write the best college applications and essays in order to be competitive. The more planning that high school juniors do, the more successful their college admissions oportunities will be as a high school senior.

Susie Watts is a college consultant with 30 years experience. She begins working with high school juniors once they are into their first semester. You can contact Susie at 303-692-1918 or susie@collegedirection.org with questions.Love

Look for the College Fit, Not the Ranking

For many high school juniors, college planning has begun. This, of course, includes the college search. College Direction suggests that students put rankings at the bottom of their considerations and concentrate on researching schools that are a good fit for them. This fit should includes academic, financial and social as well. Rankings just add to the hype surrounding college admissions and rarely have little to do with the educational experience a student will receive. When College Direction is researching schools for a student, we are much more concerned with the undergraduate experience and the four-year graduation rates at different schools. To find colleges with the best fit, students should do some self-reflection and write down a list of qualities they consider important when choosing a school. The colleges they choose to explore more completely should have as many of these qualities as possible.

 

 

 

How to Get the Best Teacher Recommendations for College

Teacher recommendations are an important, but sometimes overlooked part of the college admissions process. They are one of the few opportunities that an admissions committee gets to read about a student’s character, motivation and personality. Teacher recommendations are not always mandatory, but they often provide the admissions committee with positive statements about a student as a college applicant.

Teacher recommendations are important for college admissions because they give a picture of a student in an academic setting. Students should make sure to ask a teacher who teaches in the core classes: English, science, math, social studies, or foreign language. Many schools like to have two teacher recommendations, each from a different subject area.

Teacher recommendations are intended for colleges to get a better picture of how a student might fit into their freshmen class. Colleges read all of your recommendations and factor them into the college admissions decision. Although it may not feel like students have much control over this aspect, they probably have more control than they realize.

Students should not wait until their senior year to request teacher recommendations. Teachers get busy in the fall and the more recommendations they have to do, the less time they will have to spend on them. Meet with two teachers before the end of your junior year and talk about what you would like them to write on your recommendations. Make sure the teachers know about you both inside and outside of the classroom and what you feel you can bring to a college campus.

Colleges prefer teacher recommendations come from teachers you have had for at least one semester because they want an honest evaluation of how you compare to other students in your class. If you have a teacher who also knows you outside the classroom in athletics or extra-curricular activities, that can give a college an additional perspective on you as a potential college applicant. Unless a school specifically requests it, don’t use a coach or someone who cannot speak to your academic achievements and capabilities.

Make sure your teacher recommendations focus on the academic issues related to your college choices, so that the teacher can provide specific information to support your applications. Or, if the colleges are known for their debate team, the teacher could mention that you have excelled in a particular area in your high school speech and debate club.

According to recent research, teacher recommendations are the fifth most important factor in the college admission decision. Of the top five factors – grades in college prep courses, SAT and ACT scores, class rank, essay or personal statement – this one give an admissions committee something more personal than grades and test scores are able to provide.

Teacher recommendations often give a school some idea of how students will fit into their particular campus and how successful they will be completing four years of study. As colleges continue to receive increasing numbers of applicants each year, the need to stand out from the competition is also increasing. Teacher recommendations might be that piece of information that distinguishes you from other applicants in college admissions.

College Admissions: 5 College Planning Tips for High School Juniors

May is a busy month for high school juniors.  There are AP tests to take, team dinners to attend, SAT and ACT tests to study for, and finals for which to get ready.  Fortunately, summer is not far off.  College planning is something most high school juniors need to get started on.  The more that can be accomplished over the summer, the less you need to worry about when school begins in the fall.  Check out this article for 5 important college planning things to do.

 

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