Students and parents, now that the first semester has reached beyond the midpoint and PSAT/NMSQT has passed, it’s a good time to begin considering what Juniors should be doing so as to begin preparations for the college application process. It will be here sooner than you might realize, and time flies fast! With the pandemic still in effect, it’s imperative that you stay on-top of things.
Fortunately, if you’re lost or just beginning the process, you’re not behind (even with COVID). That said, now would be a good time to “turn on the switch,” so to speak, in an effort to stay informed and ahead of the game.
Register for the SAT and/or ACT. A good, general rule of thumb is for students to begin taking the SAT and/or ACT the spring of their junior year. It’s understood that some testing centers are having difficulty maintaining openness due to the virus, but this should still be a factor in the process. The timing of such can depend on a few different factors:
a. Prior testing history
b. Academic performance
c. Athletic recruitment
— ***Some students who are more academically advanced should consider taking standardized exams in the Fall as opposed to the Spring, so as to obtain a better indication for long-term scoring.***
— It’s suggested that students do a modest but limited amount of preparation going in to their first SAT/ACT so as to establish familiarity with standardized exams. Since students won’t specifically know how they’ll perform as they take their first, I suggest that students and parents not spend significant money on test prep or test tutoring at this point. Once a score report is obtained, the test prep agencies and tutors can utilize the information to perhaps tailor a course of action to maximize time efficiency based on each section of the SAT or ACT; this could also perhaps save parents a significant amount of money.
— Students are likely to perform better on one of the standardized exams. It’s recommended that both are taken at least once so that a concordance comparison for re-examination can be examined. Focus on re-taking whichever is higher from that point forward; most colleges do not specify a preference between the ACT or SAT. As well, TEST OPTIONAL admission decisions/processes are commonplace due to the pandemic. It’s still a good idea to have scores on record to report if necessary; a student who scores high on the SAT or ACT should very likely consider submitting the high scores!
2. Utilize free test preparation resources. I highly suggest that students link their College Board accounts with wonderful resources like Khan Academy, which is a free online test prep resource that diagnoses SAT scores and offers daily test prep. Khan Academy can also familiarize a new test-taker with the SAT and in the very least, it can be an eye-opener for students going into their first exam. Covid has forced many students into an online-only environment, so this might actually be optimal in the first place.
3. Begin having discussions about school preferences. Many considerations will go into choosing a college, so consider the following factors to initiate the conversations:
a. Public vs Private schools
b. In-State vs Out-of-State schools
c. Urban campus or College town?
d. WILL MONEY BE A DECIDING FACTOR?
4. Utilize Junior year to begin making college visits (if you have not already been making them). Many colleges are open for official campus visits, even with Covid restrictions. Otherwise, prepare to make virtual visits. Here are some tips for setting up college visits:
a. If you don’t have a specific list of interest schools to visit, then start locally. The DFW area has quite a number of terrific colleges and universities; whether a student is interested in them or not, visiting some of them will at the very least serve as a comparison and example for the college campus “feel.”
b. Almost every college makes visiting the university admissions office very easy to find. When in doubt, do simple internet searches under the college’s name and add “visit” to it. You’ll likely be led to a page that will list when the admission office will have an official visit times/dates and how to officially register for them.
c. Keep in-mind that colleges often track “demonstrated interest,” so visiting through the official process helps the college remove any doubt as to whether or not you're truly interested should you submit an application down the line.
5. Keep up the academic performance or establish a positive grade trend. Junior year is what I call the “perfect storm” year, as it’s the first year that most high school students will have more rigorous courses available (AP, etc.), and it’s the last year that colleges will see on a transcript when applications are submitted during Senior year.
a. Colleges take grade trends into consideration. If a student had lackluster performance earlier in their high school tenure, then the Junior year can help a student improve. It’s generally better to end higher and on a positive grade trend than the reverse.
b. Be thinking about Senior courses. I’ll have more information about this topic later in the Winter-Spring.
I’ll have more information for Juniors down the line, but this should hopefully help Junior parents and students understand what they should be doing as of late Fall. There’s plenty of time to accomplish goals and to stay ahead of the game, but it’s best to jump on the train! Of course, contact me should you have any questions or if you’d like to inquire about an underclass consultation. We’ll go from there!