For those of you taking AP exams, I hope they’ve been going well. Next step: preparing for finals. This is a critical time to focus—your efforts now can boost both your exam scores and final grades. Create a study schedule you can stick to, and take advantage of teacher-led review sessions or form a study group. If you need additional support, now is the time to seek it out.

As the year wraps up, it’s also the moment to take stock of everything you’ve accomplished. Start building a résumé using a template to showcase not just academics and formal activities, but also service, hobbies, and any other meaningful pursuits. You’ll use it regularly over the next few years—this is time well spent, I promise.

Looking ahead, rising juniors should also begin thinking about standardized testing. With the new digital ACT rolling out as an option but not a requirement and the digital SAT in place, the Class of 2027 has unique considerations. I hope you’ll join me on May 18 for College Admissions: A Road Map for 9^th and 10^th Grade Students, where you’ll learn how to develop a testing timeline that fits your goals, or reach out for individual advising.

If you’re planning summer campus visits, keep in mind that most schools are on summer break or will be very soon.  To see what a normal day on campus looks like, consider visiting a campus on a quarter calendar, which should still be in session for the next few weeks, or waiting until the end of your summer break when college semesters are typically starting. Seeing a school when it’s in session gives you a much better sense of campus life.