04 Sep Road Map for September: Juniors

Welcome to your junior year! As you adjust to a new schedule, give yourself some space to settle into a routine. This year will bring academic challenges, extracurricular commitments, and a bigger focus on college planning, but with thoughtful organization, you can keep everything manageable.

Your first priority should be your academics. Colleges place the most weight on your coursework, so think about what you’ll need to succeed. This may mean scheduling dedicated homework time, seeking out extra help from teachers, or balancing your commitments so that academics stay strong even during your busiest seasons.

Junior year is also a prime time to explore colleges. Start by thinking about what you want in your college experience—academic offerings, size, location, and community. If you’re planning to travel for visits, look for professional development days or other times when you have days off from school but colleges are in session, so you can see campuses on a typical day. Aim to visit a mix of schools—large and small, urban and suburban—to get a feel for what you like. If travel isn’t possible, take advantage of virtual tours, online information sessions, college fairs, and visits from college reps at your high school. And remember to record your impressions as you go; these notes will be invaluable later as you refine your list.

Finally, set some SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals for the year. For example, you might plan to visit three campuses by Thanksgiving or complete your first round of standardized testing by spring. Clear goals will help you stay on track.

Junior year is busy, but with good planning, it can also be exciting and rewarding.