02 Jun Road Map for June: Class of 2023

You made it through the dreaded junior year! I hope you’ve had a successful year, whatever that means to you. In fact, this is a great opportunity to do some reflection on that question. What goals did you set for yourself this year? Have you made progress on them? What are you proud of and what do you plan to keep working on? How can you set yourself up for success, and what supports will you need?

Before school is over, make sure you’ve contacted your teachers to request letters of recommendation. This gives them the opportunity to request information from you, think about what to write about you, and perhaps start your letter over the summer.  Two teachers of academic subjects (English, history, math, science, and language) should be plenty, although some colleges will accept additional, optional letters.

As we head into the summer, I am encouraging the Class of ’23 to use the coming weeks to get as much college application work done as possible. (After taking a break, of course!)  The more you’re able to do on your applications and essays this summer, the less stressful the fall will be when you resume the obligations of the school year. If you need support, register for my summer application and essay workshops, or contact me about individual advising. My students are working on the Common Application and any others they expect to be submitting, and they’re starting to brainstorm topics for their personal statements and school-specific essays. Keep in mind that the Common App will shut down for a few days at the end of July and reopen August 1 for the new application cycle. While most of your work will be saved, college-specific questions do not roll over, so don’t plan on completing these until the new application is available.

You should also continue to refine your college list, and college research and visits are key to learning which schools will be a good fit. NACAC’s fall college fair schedule was released this week, with 17 in-person events where you can meet with admissions reps from dozens or even hundreds of colleges. I was surprised and disappointed to see that my area (Washington, DC) is not on the list this year, but fortunately there are also three virtual fairs that students can attend if they don’t live in a city that’s hosting an in-person fair or can’t make it to these events.