Your College Apps Timeline | When Should You Do What?
Junior year is a crucial time for high school students as they navigate the college admission process. With so many tasks to complete and deadlines to meet, it's important for juniors to plan ahead and create a timeline to stay organized and reduce stress. In this blog post, I will outline a comprehensive timeline for juniors, including crucial milestones such as taking standardized tests, visiting colleges, drafting essays, and completing applications.
EARLY Fall Semester of Junior Year:
Research and Self-Reflection: Kick off the college application process by researching various schools, degree programs, and potential career paths that align with your interests. Consider what you want in a college, such as location, campus size, academic offerings, and extracurricular activities. Self-reflection is key in narrowing down your choices and setting your goals.
Meet with Guidance Counselor: Schedule a meeting with your guidance counselor to discuss your college aspirations and seek advice on how to prepare. They can provide valuable insights, recommend college fairs, and assist with understanding the application requirements.
FALL to Spring Semester of Junior Year:
Prepare and Take Standardized Tests: Register for the ACT and/or SAT exams and create a study plan to ensure ample preparation time. Taking the exams during the Fall to Spring semester of junior year allows for retaking them if desired. Be aware of registration deadlines and consider taking practice tests to identify areas in need of improvement.
Visit College Campuses: Begin touring colleges during this time, starting with local options and gradually expanding your search radius. Attend information sessions, take campus tours, and meet with admissions representatives to gather relevant information. Narrow down your choices and evaluate each campus based on your preferences and requirements.
SPRING | Request Recommendation Letters: Reach out to teachers, mentors, or coaches who know you well and can write strong recommendation letters. Provide them with sufficient time to write these letters, and remember to express your gratitude for their support. That’s actually why I recommend asking in the Spring of Junior year. Your teachers will thank you for not waiting until Fall to ask them!
Summer between Junior and Senior Year:
Create a College List: Based on your research and campus visits, finalize a list of colleges that you will apply to. Consider a mix of reach, target, and safety schools, ensuring they align with your academic interests and goals.
Draft College Essays: Use this time to brainstorm essay topics, reflect on personal experiences, and create outlines for your college essays. Begin drafting them to allow for ample revisions and editing before the application deadlines.
Fall Semester of Senior Year:
Finalize your College Essays. Whether you share your essays with your parents or your College Counselor, I would recommend having someone else look at your essays. Why? Because I find most students—particularly my high school-aged female students—struggle to write about themselves, playing off their greatest accomplishments as no big deal. You might need that other set of eyes to make sure you’re not downplaying your accomplishments in the tone of your essay. Having someone else take a look at your essay can help with that.
Complete College Applications: Work on your college applications early to avoid any last-minute rush. This includes gathering all necessary documents, filling out forms accurately, and attaching your well-crafted essays. Make sure to comply with each college's specific requirements and deadlines and plan ahead for your Early Action and Early Decision deadlines.
If for whatever reason you’re behind on your standardized testing, the SAT and ACT have test dates all through the Fall. You last chance to test for EA or ED is going to be in the early Fall, likely the October SAT or the September ACT. However, if you’re doing regular decision, your last chance is the December exam for most school. Again, I would not recommend waiting this long! It will add more stress than it’s worth.
Starting the college application process early during junior year provides ample time for research, preparation, and self-reflection. By following this timeline, juniors can carefully plan their standardized test-taking, visit colleges, draft compelling essays, and submit their applications confidently. Remember, staying organized, seeking guidance, and managing time effectively will go a long way in making this process less daunting and more rewarding.
