12 Dec Road Map for December: Juniors

Your PSAT scores are here, now what do you do? Very high scoring students can click here to read about the expected cutoff scores for the National Merit Scholarship competition.  If you have also taken a practice ACT, use the table on this website to compare the two scores and see if you have an advantage on one test or the other. If you haven’t taken a practice ACT yet, I recommend you do that right away so you can decide which test you should plan to take and start prepping. The next ACTs are given in February and April, and the next SAT date is in March. Most students should have at least one set of scores by the end of the school year, and I try to have my students done with testing by the end of the summer if possible. To make that happen, doing a first exam by early spring is a good start.

Other than standardized tests, you should be focusing on your classes. Between the heavy junior year workload and shorter days and cold weather, it can be hard to stay motivated. Make sure to take care of yourself and prioritize carefully, including rest.  (Parents, check out this article for tips on how to help your teen with this challenging but important goal.)

I’ve been telling students to block out dates for college tours, and now it’s time to start deciding where to go.  Spring break tours in particular can fill up quickly, so if a spring break trip is part of your plan, start booking through the admissions websites of the colleges you’d like to see. If the school you’re planning to visit hasn’t opened registration yet for spring semester tours, check back regularly until they become available.