15 Mar Road Map for March: Juniors

Juniors are in the thick of standardized testing, college rep visits at school, senior year course selection, and test prep.  Congratulations to those of you who took your first SAT or ACT.  Once you have an initial set of scores, you can use them along with your grades to help identify colleges that might go on your list in the reach, target, and likely categories.

Students in the DC area should save the date for the upcoming college fairs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.  These are especially valuable if there are colleges attending that you’re interested in but may not be able to visit in person.  Connecting in person with the regional representative is a great opportunity to get on their radar and hear first-hand about academic programs, campus life, and financial aid.

You can get the most out of the college fairs you attend by preparing in advance, and most of these tips also apply to campus tours and meetings with college representatives who visit your school.  For your in-person college visits, here are some other ways to take best advantage of your time on campus.

Although I don’t recommend starting your college essays just yet, you can work on the Common Application and Coalition Application, and check out each platform’s essay prompts to start thinking about possible topics.  If you’re a visual arts student you should also consider whether you plan to pursue a B.A. or B.F.A., and start planning the pieces you’ll include in your portfolio. For guidance on any of these topics, contact me to schedule an appointment.