Juniors and Junior parents,
The pandemic has caused significant hiccups in all of our lives, and yet the schooling, learning, and development process still marches on with time. While our situation has definitely forced us to be flexible and fluid, some very basic truths about junior year still remain the same. The Junior Year of high school is a critical year for college admission, and I’ve detailed below the most important reasons.
1. Rigor -- for most juniors, this year is the first year that many of the more rigorous coursework will become available. While a number of juniors may have taken such offerings as AP Human Geography or AP World History as freshmen or sophomores, most will not have taken any others unless they’re approved for advanced classes. Junior year is when many of the AP courses(and Dual Credit for some school districts) become available if offered at the school. As rigor and preparation are a significant factor in the college admission process, this will be good to know.
2. Time -- while this year is the first year that more rigorous courses become available, it’s the LAST year that colleges will see on a transcript. Keep in-mind that while students may have a rigorous course schedule for their senior year, the schools will only see that the courses are in-progress; they won’t see grades until the end of first semester at best.
The combination of these two factors listed above make the Junior year the “PERFECT STORM” year. It’s the first year that Juniors have rigor largely available, and it’s the last year colleges will see on a transcript to identify grade trends.
3. GPA and Class Rank solidification -- there is typically a substantial amount of GPA/Class Rank movement this year as the weighted aspect of rigorous coursework takes larger effect. For those of you interested in how class rank and GPA matters, think about how many of the Texas public colleges/universities consider rank.
-- while it’s true that many competitive districts in the area have gone the route of not reporting class rank, colleges still review applications by high school and will create a “soft rank” based on an internal review of all who apply from said school. For this reason, it’s important to have rock-solid performance, especially JUNIOR YEAR.
4. Finish on a high note. If this year is the “perfect storm,” then finishing on a high note will send an ideal message. Think of it this way -- if a student’s performance is stable or even improving while the rigor gets tougher, then that’s an excellent sign that the student is well prepared for college. In other words, as things get harder, you’re getting better. That’s a win, so work to nail down grades this year and drive “90 MPH” until the end of the school year (academically speaking, of course)!
5. Extracurriculars and Leadership -- this year will also be ideally suited to solidify depth of meaningful involvement, passionate drive, and leadership. Juniors are no longer the immature underclassmen; they are typically the best-rounded students in the entire school as they’re working hard to perform, grow, mature, and lead. Seniors often have a “foot out of the door” mentality that leads to the dreaded ‘senioritis.’ This provides a golden opportunity for juniors to have a stand-out year.
6. Teacher Recommendations -- it goes without saying that students should do their best to submit schoolwork in a timely manner, pay attention in class, engage in classroom discussions, and develop solid working relationships with their teachers. I say this to remind readers that many colleges require teacher recommendations, and the ideal teachers for such are JUNIOR YEAR teachers; they’ll have been the most recent teachers to have had students in the classroom and can vouch for their most immediate classroom credentials. Take this opportunity to engage so as to position yourself well here.
Again, the pandemic has changed the dynamics of how students learn and interact, but the fundamental truths remain unchanged. Use this year to swing for the fences and solidify the work done in prior years. Grow as a passionate leader and person overall. This is your opportunity to improve your lot when it matters most. After all, it’s the perfect storm. Contact me if you would like to set up a consultation to help you prepare for this crucial year and how to navigate much of the changing dynamics as we continue. You know where to find me!