11 Jan Road Map for January: Juniors

I hope you enjoyed your break, and that you’re coming back to school with new energy for your academics and activities. You should also be getting more focused on college planning, starting with college research. You can explore the Academics and Student Life sections of colleges’ websites to get a feel for whether each one might be a good fit. If it seems like it has potential for you, check the Admissions section for virtual information sessions, or book an in-person tour. I always encourage students to take advantage of professional development and administrative days so  they can see a typical day on campus without missing their own classes. Also, if you’re planning to visit campuses over spring break, register soon because those dates can fill up fast!

Students planning to take the February ACT can still register with a late fee until January 24, or you can opt for the April exam, when the new digital ACT will be an option. Either of these dates should keep you on track to complete your testing by September or even July. For students who have decided to go with the SAT, starting with the March exam will also get you finished before the fall gets too busy, especially since the College Board has announced a new September SAT date starting this year. This is especially good news for juniors whose math sequence has them completing Algebra 2 this year and who might benefit from completing more of that content before testing.  It’s also helpful for students who want one more test date in time for Early Decision and Early Action deadlines, which can be as early as October 15 at schools like Clemson, the University of South Carolina, and UNC Chapel Hill. Having a solid plan to complete your test prep and testing ensures you’ll have more time in the summer and fall for applications and essays, which can reduce the stress of the process. If you’re interested in individual guidance on testing or other topics, I hope you’ll contact me to learn about how we can work together.