13 Jun Road Map for June: Juniors

Congratulations on finishing 11th grade! You’ve done so much this year and you’ve earned a break, so make sure you take one before you turn your attention to college applications. Give yourself time to do some activities you enjoy, catch up with friends and family, and have some real downtime.

Once you’ve had a chance to rest and refresh, plan your next steps so you can make use of your time out of school. First, if you haven’t lined up recommendations, contact your teachers now. Then develop a plan for working on your Common Application, Coalition Application, personal statement and school-specific essays. Create goals and a timeline for the summer months and a system to ensure you stay on track.

As your final grades and spring testing become available, you can start to firm up your college list. You can also register for any additional testing you plan to do, and enroll in any prep courses you intend to take. If possible, I like for my students to finish testing no later than August for the SAT and September for the ACT, so you can turn your full attention to your schoolwork and applications once classes start in the fall.  (And just to be clear, don’t take both exams! Pick the one that’s best for you.)

If you’re planning additional campus visits, finalize those dates and make your arrangements for travel, campus tours and, if you have the opportunity, interviews.  When you schedule tours on days your school is not in session but colleges are (like professional development or conference days), you can usually arrange to sit in on a class during your visit. My website now has Google calendars for several DC-area school districts to help you find those perfect dates.

I’ll be working with Class of 2020 students all summer. For help with applications, essays, a final testing plan or general college planning, email me at [email protected].