JUNIOR YEAR (11th grade)

September

  • Take a leadership role in your activities and classrooms – now is the chance to shine
  • Decide which tests to take and when to take them (PSAT, SAT, ACT)

October

  • Take the PSAT (recommended for all juniors and required junior year in order to qualify for National Merit Scholarship)
  • Develop a list of target colleges. You may want to start looking by specific majors. (Check programs offered– are they what you want? More than half of college bound students are applying to college undecided about a major).

November/December

  • Visit some local colleges/universities to get a feel for what you might want: urban, large, diverse, small, private, etc.
  • Review your PSAT scores (online at collegeboard.com) and use your results to get ready for an upcoming SAT in the spring. For juniors, May and June are our most popular testing dates.

January/February

  • Register for the ACT, SAT or both. Plan a college tour over spring break so that you can visit a campus while school is in session.
  • Do you need to take any SAT subject tests? Do the colleges you are considering require them? If so, which tests would be best?
  • Plan your courses for next school year. Stay competitive even in your SENIOR year! Choose courses that interest you and strengthen your transcript. Choose courses that meet the entrance requirements of the colleges you are interested in.

March

  • Meet with your school counselor to talk about your career goals and target colleges. Make sure that you have a balance of “reach” schools, “safety” schools and good matches in between.

April/May/June

  • Take the SAT, ACT or Subject tests
  • It’s not too late to keep prepping for these exams.
  • Take the SAT again while they are relevant and fresh.
  • Find a summer job or a summer program that interests you. See your LE teacher or the Counseling Summer Opportunities link for ideas. Make sure to have some fun and relax a bit.
  • Start working on your counselor composite packet for letters of recommendation and think about which teachers could write a letter for you and about possible essay topics.
  • Register online @ NCAA Eligibility Centerif thinking about playing sports at the collegiate level. CEEB code: 394685