We’re in the homestretch of the school year, and I know many juniors are juggling AP exams, finals, and perhaps another round of SAT or ACT testing. It’s a busy time, so keep your focus on finishing strong. Your performance now matters and sets the stage for a successful admissions season ahead.

As you start laying the groundwork for your college applications, one of your top priorities should be securing letters of recommendation. Most students will need letters from a counselor and two teachers in core academic subjects. Ideally, these teachers are from your junior year, when your work is most recent and rigorous. Be sure to understand your school’s process and provide any required materials, such as a résumé or brag sheet, before summer begins.

Next, make a clear plan for finishing standardized testing—by July for the ACT or August for the SAT, if at all possible. Having testing behind you will make the fall significantly more manageable. For those of you applying to the most selective colleges, check out my blog post on the shifting testing environment. And although the scores are not reported to colleges, your PSAT last fall was also used as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Students who had very high scores may want to review this update about the levels required for Commended and Semi-Finalist recognition for the Class of ’27.

Finally, plan to use your summer well. The more application work you can complete before senior year begins, the better. You can start building your Common Application profile now, and anything entered in the “My Common App” sections will carry over to the new application cycle. I encourage students to aim for this section to be nearly complete —including the personal essay—by the end of July so they can turn their attention to the requirements for individual colleges in August.

If you think you’d benefit from individual advising, please contact me! I am still taking new Class of 2027 students, and would love to help you with the thoughtful planning that can make this busy season a strong launch for the months ahead.