12 Sep Road Map for September: Juniors

I hope you’re off to a great start and have been working to lay the foundation for a successful year. This includes academics, which are central in college admissions, but it also includes the activities you’re involved in and the college search itself.  Whether you’ve been thinking about specific schools where you could see yourself going or more generally about the kind of school that would be a good fit, or you’re just starting to focus on what comes after high school, I hope this will be a fun and exciting year of exploration.  To get a handle on what’s ahead, RSVP for my college admissions talk on September 27 at the Hill Center.

The college admissions process unofficially kicks off next month with the PSAT, but one thing I recommend you do now is start planning for campus visits.  Even if you don’t have destinations in mind yet, block out time during the year on parents’ and students’ calendars—often the greatest challenge for families is simply finding the time to get away.  Many students do tours over spring break, but try to fit some in this fall too. Are you interested in colleges in the mid-Atlantic states? This list of open house events in the region is a great planning tool. Not able to travel right now? Try scheduling tours at universities in your area to get your feet wet, and plan to attend a national college fair, where you can meet face-to-face with admissions staff from hundreds of schools.  Also be sure to keep an eye on the schedule of college representatives visiting your high school, and try to meet with those from schools you’re interested in learning about.