Health & Fitness
Back to School Advice for High School Juniors Beginning Their College Search
Back to school advice for high school juniors, as they prepare for college and the college search process.
High school juniors, you are in the on-deck circle this year! The cap and gown may be a long time away, but your time to shine is now! Your grades from this year, plus recommendations from your teachers, will make up a very large part of your college applications next year. Here are some things you can be doing right now:
- Get those grades up and keep them there! If you goofed off in 9th and 10th grade, this is the year to pull up those grades. If your grades were already high, good job! Pat yourself on the back and do it again this year.
- Take tough courses. Challenge yourself academically. Colleges want to see students who seek out difficult courses. They would rather see a B in an honors or AP class than an A you barely had to work for in the regular level class.
- Start thinking about college now. What subjects might you want to study? What kind of educational environment works best for you? Do you want to stay in California or do you want to venture out and seek a little more independence? Do you want to be among thousands, or tens of thousands, of students cheering for your college’s football, basketball or lacrosse team? Or do you want a more intimate educational environment where you have regular access to professors who can guide your learning?
There are other things you can do over the course of this year that will help make your college search productive, and they’ll likely reduce your stress level – and that of your parents – as well. If your school has a college fair, attend this year – don’t wait until you are a senior. Do some preparation for the SAT or ACT – you can find links to free test prep resources here.
Parents of high school juniors – no need to freak out just yet. This is the time to let your student explore. You can guide them, a bit, and you can coax them to improve their grades. But remember that this is their search, and that sometimes your advice, no matter how well-intentioned, might not always have the desired result. Start to take a step back and let them see the opportunities out there.
