Tag Archives: high school juniors

academics, admissions, college guidance

High School Juniors and the Pandemic

high school juniors

High school juniors may be wondering how the pandemic will affect their college plans. Your student may be asking: 

  • How is this virus going to affect my future college application? 
  • Are these abridged AP exams going to count? 
  • I worked so hard this year, took a rigorous curriculum, but now how can this pass/fail grading highlight my improved grades? 
  • My prestigious summer program was just canceled—what can I do for the next several months? 
  • With all the seniors currently asking for gap years, will this mean there will be fewer spaces in future years?”

These are all valid concerns. Most of these questions don’t have black/white answers yet and as each day passes, colleges are making decisions that will most likely answer all of your questions. Your student can take comfort, however, knowing that every junior is facing the same challenges and concerns. They aren’t alone in their uncertainty.

We can’t know the future, but we can deal with what we know now. As time progresses, the options will change, but for now, here is some helpful information:

Standardized Testing

The June SAT and SAT Subject Tests have been cancelled. You can click here to see the up-to-date information. As it looks now, they are planning tests for August 29, September 26, October 3, November 7 and December 5. If schools don’t reopen in the fall, the College Board will provide a digital at-home version.

The ACT test that was scheduled for April 4 was cancelled. You can reschedule your test date here for June 13, July 18 or schedule a future test date.

To account for all the disruption, colleges will most likely decrease the weight that standardized test scores carry in the admissions process. That being said, if you are able to achieve a high score despite disruptions, you will have an advantage among other applicants.

For the 2020-21 application cycle, many colleges, including selective ones, may choose to move to test-optional admissions. This means that applicants are not required to submit any standardized test scores. 

You can find a list of schools who are currently going test-optional here. 

Academics

The majority of students are now engaged in online learning. Because of this and the decision by most schools to use pass/fail grading, grades from the second semester of junior year will not count for very much in the admissions process. If your student has an option to take a grade for the current semester, I would advise them to do so. If not, colleges looking to see growth in a student’s profile will focus on grades from the first semester of senior year instead. If your student is applying early, colleges won’t have first semester grades available.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities, especially ones offered through schools and the ones that require face to face interaction, have screeched to a halt. Colleges are aware of these challenges. However, students who find ways to remain engaged despite the pandemic will stand out. 

Just because you can’t participate in the normal activities, be creative. Here’s a list of ways you can still volunteer locally:

College Visits

Even though you haven’t had the chance to visit this spring, you can still visit virtually. Connect through social media with current and past students and ask questions about their college experience. You can find them on the college websites, instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Considering all your options

Since the impact of the virus has certainly changed everyone’s outlook on the future and possibly affected your family financially, your student might want to consider some alternatives to the traditional path to college. Talk to your student about taking a gap year and working at an internship or job, going to community college for the first two years and transferring, attending classes online, or even looking at the military as an option.

Other things to consider

Colleges may choose to accept a higher percentage of next year’s applicants early in an effort to lock in more students. Or colleges may also be looking at their list of deferred students and hold spaces open for them in the upcoming class. Financial aid may also be affected because of less alumni contributions with less money to spread around. Colleges will also be feeling the financial impact of the virus and have less money to give as merit aid.

college planning, college prep

Dear High School Junior

high school juniorDear High School Junior,

Your quest for college intensifies this year. Junior year is THE most important year in the college process. It’s the year you focus your energy on college preparation. All the years leading up to this year have prepared you to begin this journey and as an admissions officer once told me, “drive the car”.

Focus on these four tasks this year and enter your senior year prepared to apply to colleges.

Academics

Your junior year is THE most important year as far as college. It’s the junior year transcript that colleges will receive with your application. This is NOT the time to start coasting. Do your best in every class, especially the AP Honors classes. This level of commitment to academics will communicate to colleges that you capable of handling rigorous college courses and have fine-tuned your time management and study skills.

Test prep and study

First–the PSAT is NOT a practice test. It’s your ticket to some substantial scholarship money if you qualify as a finalist. You don’t have to win or be the best; you just have to qualify as a finalist. Most students don’t study for this test so that’s an advantage you will have going into it. If you study, you could be looking at a full-ride at one of the colleges you list on your test. Think carefully before you list a college. Once you do, it’s locked in.

The SAT and ACT are used by colleges to rate you among prospective students. Scoring high on these tests can mean the difference between an offer of admission and a rejection. Study before taking the test. Take advantage of some free test prep even if you feel you don’t need it. Take the practice tests, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and adjust your study accordingly.

College lists and visits

It’s time to start your college lists. Is one college at the top of your radar? Do you want to stay in state or attend a college far from home? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself when you start your list. Remember to look at all types of colleges: private, state, junior colleges, liberal arts colleges, technical colleges and even career specific colleges like a culinary school. One size college does not fit all. It’s time to explore.

Start visiting colleges–either on your list or nearby to get a feel for campus life. Make some preliminary visits before you start scheduling official visits with the colleges. Talk to students. Explore the area around the college. Once you have a tentative list made, start scheduling visits for tours, meeting with financial aid, and interviewing with admissions. Letting the college know you are coming shows interest in their school. Colleges keep track of these contacts; and when the application is received, they can look at their list and see you have expressed interest.

Finances

Talk with your parents about how they expect you to pay for college. If they are contributing, ask how much they have budgeted for your education. This will help you know what they are prepared to pay and what you will have to contribute to make up the difference. If it’s substantial you should intensify your scholarship search and start working to save money for expenses.

Don’t apply to colleges that are entirely out of your reach if you don’t receive financial aid. It will only lead to disappointment. Investigate how much financial aid the colleges usually provide incoming students. This will help you plan. Remember that the sticker price of a college is not usually what you will pay. Apply to colleges where you are at the top of the applicant pool. This will improve your chances of receiving merit aid.

It’s time to get serious because senior year is just around the corner. Once it hits, you will be writing essays, applying to colleges, and working hard to keep your grades up. If you prepare in advance by completing these four tasks, you will have less stress your senior year.

Top 10

Top 10 Activities for College-Bound Juniors

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top 10With all the talk about senior to-do-lists and the excitement around the college offers and graduation, it’s easy to forget about the juniors. When it comes right down to it, this should be when juniors amp up their game in anticipation of the fall and senior year. It’s time to start now!

Here are my top 10 activities for college-bound juniors:

  1. Research colleges–If your junior hasn’t started already, it’s time to get down and dirty and start researching colleges. Make a list of “have tos” and start there. Use sites like CollegeData.com to narrow down the choices and look at some of the statistics about each of the colleges that interest them.
  2. Visit campuses–Even if you haven’t tied down your choices, visit some college campuses. Spring is a great time to visit colleges, and if you can’t travel far, find one in your neck of the woods and check it out. You would be surprised at how visits tend to shape the choice.
  3. Take the SAT/ACT–Spring SAT and ACT tests are just around the corner. Register and take them now. If your student isn’t pleased with the scores, that will leave them time to study over the summer and retake them early in the fall before your student begins their college applications.
  4. Choose the right classes for next year–It’s time to start surveying the courses for next year. Encourage your student to take as many AP classes as they can handle and consider dual credit courses as well. College look positively on students who take strenuous course loads. And the added bonus it these classes can help your student get credit for college level courses—saving you tons of money in the long run.
  5. Search for scholarships–Junior year is the time to focus, focus, focus on scholarship searches. Most of the scholarship s for seniors already have applications available for next year. Budget some time each day for your student to do the searches, and it’s perfectly acceptable for you to help. Remember, however, to help motivate them to search when you have the money talk with them about college expenses and student debt.
  6. Connect with your high school counselor–The high school counselor will be responsible for some of the application process and you want them to know your student when they are sending letters of recommendation and transcripts to the colleges. I often say this and some counselors have disagreed, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil and your student needs to be squeaky to the point of annoyance.
  7. Keep your grades up–Junior year is the grades that EA and ED college choices will see when you apply. It’s the most important year for your student as far as grades are concerned. Waiting until senior year to buckle down will not have much effect on the GPA.
  8. Get organized–Organization is the key to surviving senior year communication and deadlines. Set aside a landing zone for college related work and information, create a college calendar, and get an email for college communication only (firstnamlastname@gmail.com).
  9. Attend information sessions when campuses send representatives–Colleges will send representatives to high schools during the spring to connect with students. Make sure your student stays in contact with the counselor so they will know when those sessions occur—and encourage them to attend.
  10. Stay involved–Whatever your student is doing now as far as extracurricular activities, don’t stop. Colleges like to see consistency and commitment. Giving up before senior year won’t paint a positive picture. It may be hard as the new school year begins, but it’s critical for the big picture.

Junior year is when parents start having conversations with their students about career goals, college choices, course choices and financing the college education. Start now and you won’t be caught overwhelmed when school begins in the fall.

college guidance, college planning

Summer activities for next year’s high school seniors

high school juniors

There is nothing more tempting to your student after finishing junior year finals, than to close his laptop, stow his books and vow not to think about anything school-related until the last week of August rolls around. The bad news is, senior year takes a little more planning than students want it to and getting a head start can make the fall and spring less stressful and more enjoyable. The good news is, much of what your student might want to tackle can be fun — especially if she plans ahead. Here’s are three things to think about during the summer after junior year, along with three ways to hopefully make them a little more fun.

Continue reading Summer activities for next year’s high school seniors →