Congratulations! You are officially halfway through high school. The transition from sophomore year to junior year tends to be one of the biggest leaps in high school for a number of good reasons. Being not only aware, but prepared for this upcoming year is important to find your own success and ensure you manage the transition as stress-free as possible. Here are some of the key factors to prepare for:
Classes: Junior year is a common year for students to increase their rigor through honors and AP classes, and sometimes multiple! Higher-level classes require more time and work, as they carry more weight, also known as weighted classes. These are the classes that give your GPA a bump. Asking for help from teachers, utilizing tutors or study groups, and continuing to prioritize your time are a few essential ways to manage a more rigorous course load.
Activities: By junior year, students are settling into activities, but with that might come leadership opportunities and/or more opportunities to be involved, like getting a job or internship. Increasing involvement shows favorable qualities like leadership and responsibility. Being self-aware about how much you are able to take on and still balance academics is key to avoiding burnout. Also, how you involve yourself should continue to be meaningful and enjoyable!
Testing: You arrived…it’s standardized testing season! Students will be taking the SAT or ACT throughout their junior year on average 1-3 times. Which test you take does not matter, but how you prepare does. From deciding which test to take to putting a strategic plan of when to take a test and how to prep, will allow students to tackle this step of the process more smoothly. Lastly, understanding terms like “test-optional” colleges, and admissions changes and trends to testing will help you feel more confident in how you use your test scores later on when applying to college.
Letters of Recommendation: By the end of your junior year, you will be asking (typically) two academic teachers to write your letter of recommendation for your college applications. Junior year is a common year to ask, as it’s the year closest to when you will be applying to college. You can prepare for this steps by building relationships with your teachers and putting in the effort.
College Visits and Exploration: Utilizing junior year to explore colleges is one of the best things students can do to prepare for their college applications during senior year. Scheduling college visits in the Fall and Spring semesters, allows students to explore different campuses and begin to understand what preferences they will look for when building a college list. Given how busy senior year is, we encourage students not to save this step but rather take advantage of junior year to explore!
Junior year is busy, but exciting! We so often hear students say it’s one of the harder years of high school, but the reality is, there is just more on your plate! Being prepared is one of the best ways to manage what’s ahead and continue to put your best foot forward. As always, Campus Bound counselors are here for students every step of the way.
