The admission strategy recommended for junior year students includes 14 steps to help students achieve their goal of attending the college of their choice.
General Overview
This strategy embodies:
- Planning and preparation.
- Timeliness.
- Creating and developing adult support and advocacy.
- Building student qualifications – both academic and extracurricular.
- Maximizing student scholarship potential.
- Proper analysis of data and student impressions for selecting preferred colleges and universities.
- Preparation, registration, and completion of required standardized tests.
- Thorough preparation for completing next year’s college and financial aid applications.
This strategy also makes clear the importance of developing student strengths and uniqueness to show that extra “something” that will set you apart from other students.
The junior strategy ties directly into the senior strategy, which maximizes opportunities to impress college admission representatives, complete superior college applications, and receive significant scholarships and grants.
14 Steps to Success
There are several tasks that should be completed as part of your junior year strategy. Completing these tasks will help build your student qualifications and prepare you for the college application and financial aid processes. Below is a list of the most important junior year tasks; it is highly recommended you review these tasks and make every effort to implement them during your junior year.
1. Study hard to earn top grades.
2. Take the most challenging course curriculum you can handle.
3. Maximize the value of your extracurricular activities.
4. Develop adult advocates.
5. Organization is a must.
6. Students and parents: Take actions to maximize the potential for receiving scholarships and grants (free money).
7. If possible, choose a college major to help with your selection of schools to apply to next year.
8. Develop a student theme for next year’s college applications.
9. In the spring of your junior year, research and select 10 colleges and universities to apply to in fall of your senior year.
10. Prepare for and complete standardized college admission tests (SAT® and ACT®) in spring of your junior year.
11. Plan to visit college campuses during spring break.
12. Be professional in all interactions with college and university representatives.
13. Plan to participate in the “best” summer activities for you.
14. Review and prepare to implement the senior year application and enrollment strategy beginning June after your junior year.