Eleventh grade: a year for wish lists
The junior year of high school is the time I recommend for most students to begin their college search process in earnest. By eleventh grade, students are generally well settled into high school socially, and they have identified sports, extracurricular activities, and academic subjects that interest them. Now it’s time to begin looking ahead to get a head start thinking about college.
Think about your current school community. Do you attend a large high school? If so, do you like the size of your school? Or do you wish you could walk the halls of your school and know the names of everyone you see? Does your school offer a wide range of honors and AP classes? If not, do you wish it did? Take stock of all the things you like and dislike about your current school.
Now consider the type of college you think you might like to attend. Are you seeking an experience similar to the one you had in high school, or do you want to expand your perspective socially, geographically, and/or academically? Do you want to be in the middle of a big city? Or do you prefer a small campus in a rural area? Do you thrive in small classes where your teachers know you well, or do you prefer the anonymity of large lecture-style classes?
For high school juniors and their parents, here are Jim’s top 5 tips for high school juniors wanting to get ready for college:
1. Do well in school. If you’re applying to selective colleges, doing well academically is always important. But it’s especially important to rise to the challenge during your junior year. Eleventh grade is the year colleges examine most closely when they look at your application. Be sure to shore up your study habits, take care of your health, and ask your teachers for extra help when you need it.
2. Begin drafting a college list. This can begin with thinking about your high school. What do you like and dislike about your high school’s community? Do you like a small school or a large school? Do you want the option of taking honors classes? Do you like sports teams and a strong sense of school spirit? Do you prefer urban or rural? Then make plans to visit schools, either as part of family travel or as a college-specific trip.
3. Study for, and take, the SAT and/or ACT. Many colleges and universities are now test optional, but some still require standardized testing. In general, I suggest taking at least one of these tests during your junior year. If you took the PSAT as a sophomore, review your results and study the areas where you can most stand to improve. Khan Academy has a good test prep course you can take online for free. Once you get your results back, then you can decide whether to take the test again, send your results to colleges, or omit sending scores.
4. Practice kind, respectful self talk. You may experience pressure from parents, teachers, coaches, and peers to get good grades and also perform well in sports and other extracurricular activities. This can be stressful. Remind yourself that you are doing your best, be proud of your achievements, and offer yourself words of affirmation and positivity. You deserve it.
5. Make use of your college counselor. Whether this person is an employee of your high school or an independent college admissions consultant, this person knows the process inside and out and is there to support you.
Most of all, think of the college admissions process as a learning and growth opportunity, and have fun with it! I often advise my clients just to take a breath and remember that we’ll eventually find an opportunity that’s a great fit for them. It doesn’t need to be nerve-wracking—it actually can be quite joyful!
