JUNIOR YEAR: A GUIDE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (AND THEIR PARENTS)
Junior Year
FALL
- Start the semester off strong to maintain a great GPA for this year!
- Foster positive relationships with your teachers. They can provide a lot of support and insight with your schoolwork and college planning. It’s also a good time to start thinking about which teachers you would like to write your college recommendation letters (you’ll need at least two).
- Complete the CSF application and submit it by the October deadline! Qualifying students are those who are carrying four or more subjects (not counting P.E. and repeated subjects) and who earn a minimum of ten CSF points, seven of which must be in academic subjects. Details and applications can be found here: Tamalpais HS CSF Information, or Redwood HS CSF Information. If you attend a different high school, please ask your counselor or one of our directors to help you locate your school’s CSF information.
- Ask your counselor about registering for the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test in October to be eligible for National Merit Scholarships, National Scholarship Service, and National Hispanic Scholar Recognition Program. You can find more information about the PSAT/NMSQT at collegeboard.org.
- Visit your school’s College Career Center to speak with a college counselor about building a list of potential schools and specific requirements for those schools.
- If you haven’t already, start preparing in earnest for either the SAT or ACT. If you haven’t decided which test is right for you, Sage will be happy to schedule practice tests for both the SAT and ACT to help you choose which test to take. Test preparation materials are available on collegeboard.org, ACT.org, and Khan Academy (a free and exceptional test-prep resource!). And as always, Sage test-prep classes and one on one test preparation is available year round.
WINTER
- If you can, plan a possible college visit trip for spring break based on your top choice schools.
- Consider taking a real SAT or ACT (or both!). Don’t worry if your score is lower than you’d like, you still have plenty of time to prepare for the spring exams! More information about these tests can be found at collegeboard.org and ACT.org.
- Prepare for midterms! Sage offers final exam review classes in most subjects.
SPRING
- Complete the CSF application and submit it by the February deadline! Qualifying students are those who are carrying four or more subjects (not counting P.E. and repeated subjects) and who earn a minimum of ten CSF points, seven of which must be in academic subjects. Details and applications can be found here: Tamalpais HS CSF Information, or Redwood HS CSF Information. If you attend a different high school, please ask your counselor or one of our directors to help you locate your school’s CSF information.
- Now is the time to get serious about the SAT or ACT. If you haven’t been preparing yet, get after it. Sage offers test-prep classes leading up to each SAT and ACT spring test date. Prep for the May 2 SAT begins with a diagnostic test on Saturday, March 6. Prep for the June 13 ACT begins with a diagnostic test on Saturday, March 28.
- Stop by the WACAC College Fair at Dominican University (usually the first week of May) to hear from a large variety of college representatives. Make a list of potential colleges and meet with a college advisor or your counselor to discuss your options based on your initial SAT or ACT scores, if you have them.
- Register for senior-year classes. Colleges will still consider your senior-year course load and grades, so make sure you take on a challenging schedule including APs, all while keeping your workload manageable (you will have college applications to deal with senior-year!)
- Take an SAT or ACT exam. More information about these tests can be found at collegeboard.org and ACT.org.
- Over Spring Break you can visit potential colleges if possible. When visiting, don’t feel limited to solely campus tours. To get a more authentic sense of the academic and social life of a school you can sit in on a lecture, ask students (other than tour guides) what they like about the college, and see the surrounding area.
- If you’re considering applying to UCs, take a couple of SAT Subject Tests in areas of your choice. If you’re enrolled in any AP classes, these may be good areas in which to take subject tests. Learn more at collegeboard.org.
- Take AP exams in May/June. Although you may be burned out with finals approaching, you should take these last AP exams seriously! Some colleges allow AP credits to replace freshman/sophomore year requirements if you score a 4 or 5 on the AP exam. If you do well now, your freshman year in college will be that much easier! Learn more about these tests at collegeboard.org.
- Study for your finals! Sage offers final exam review classes in most subjects.
SUMMER
- This is the last summer before you apply to college. Make it count!
- Go on an adventure with ARCC or Amigos!
- Look into finding a summer job or internship in an area that you’re interested in. If you’re already thinking about what you might like to study in college, try to find a job related to that field! You can also talk to your relatives and your friends’ relatives who have jobs that interest you to get a sense of what they do, and what academic fields are relevant to that work.
- Consider lightening your senior year workload by taking an online math, science, language, or PE course. Be sure to check with your school beforehand to ensure that units will transfer over. BYU Independent Study and APEX Learning Virtual School are both excellent options. Let us know if you need some guidance about where to start.
- Consider taking one of the Sage workshops such as SAT Boot Camp, ACT Boot Camp, College Exploration, or our College Essay Workshop.
- Again, visit colleges if possible! The more colleges you see firsthand, the more informed your decision is and the more worthwhile the application process will feel!
- Enjoy yourself. Free up some head space this summer so you can start senior year refreshed and ready to go!