Junior year is a busy and pivotal year for the students. They need to give attention to multiple issues: prepping for the ACT, getting good grades, school activities and life outside of St. Mary’s. When it comes to post secondary choices students need to research and do preparatory work junior year. Work done during this year can help alleviate anxiety and help students enjoy their senior year.
Students will continue to build their resume for college by working hard to raise tests scores; GPA’s and continue to be active in leadership activities. Here are a few suggestions for the following months.
September:
· Meet with his guidance counselor.
· Begin to look at service hours.
- Register for ACT prep class
· Register for the fall PSAT or December ACT.
· Begin a goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. What grades does he want, how can he get them? Fill it out and read it often.
· Use a daily planner to schedule study time. Make this a habit.
· Become involved in or continue to be involved in organizations that he finds interesting. Leadership skills are important.
October:
· Take the PSAT or register for the December ACT
· Register for ACT prep class (if you have not already)
· Preview a few college applications.
· Work on writing essays and keep essays that they may be able to use for scholarship or college applications.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner to reassess his schedule.
· Continue to look for and research colleges, weighting each college’s the pros and cons.
November:
· Reassess his grade goals and action plan. Ask:
· Where do I need to spend more time studying?
· Is there an area where I can use my time more wisely?
· Continue to look for and research colleges, weighting each college’s the pros and cons.
· Continue to work on testing skills by prepping for the ACT and writing essays.
December:
· Take a look at the dates for the spring ACT.
· Begin to take a serious look at his choices of career. Remember that there will be many choices within a field of study or major at college, so keep it broad.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner.
· Continue to look for and research colleges, weighting each college’s the pros and cons.
· Continue to work on testing skills by prepping for ACT and writing essays.
January:
· Begin thinking of a summer job.
· Note everything he has accomplished in the first half of his junior year in his academic and personal record.
· Begin to think about his career options. He will need to start looking into how they match up with the colleges that he is considering.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner.
· Continue to look for and research colleges, weighting each college’s the pros and cons.
· Continue to work on testing skills by prepping for the ACT and writing essays.
February:
· Narrow down his college choices to 5 - 10.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner to reassess his schedule.
· Continue to be on the lookout for other colleges that may have slipped under his radar. Just because the list has been narrowed down does not mean it cannot be added to. If he finds a college that is better than what is on the list, exchange them.
· Continue to work on testing skills by prepping for ACT test and writing essays.
March:
· Begin applying for summer jobs.
· Purchase a book on money for college and begin researching financial aid including loans, scholarships and grants. Get on line and research as well.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner.
· Continue to be on the lookout for other colleges that may have slipped under his radar. Just because the list has been narrowed down does not mean it cannot be added to.
· Continue to work on testing skills by prepping for the ACT and writing essays.
· Schedule his ACT and register for the test.
April:
· Take his ACT
· Continue to look for a summer job.
· Continue to work on his goal sheet and action plan for his junior year grades. Use the daily planner.
· Continue to be on the lookout for other colleges.
· Continue prepping for ACT.
May:
· Develop a summer reading list.
· Visit one or two colleges that are high on his list of choices.
· After the college visits your teen can narrow down his college choices by looking at the atmosphere. Did the visits give your teen any idea if he preferred a small college over a big one? Does he prefer a liberal arts college?
· Decide if he will retake the ACT test in the fall. If so, continue to work on his testing skills by using practice tests and writing essays.
· Continue to be on the lookout for other colleges.