19 Sep Road Map for September: Juniors

I hope back-to-school season has been treating you well.  It’s an exciting time for the Class of 2026 with the year’s new academic challenges, extracurricular involvement and increased focus on college planning. If you set goals for the year (which I suggest you do), experts recommend that they be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable/attainable, relevant, and time-bound.  For example, if your broader goal is to explore colleges, your SMART goal could be to visit three campuses by Thanksgiving.

On the topic of campus visits, the best visits allow you to see what a typical day is like at the college, so go on a weekday if possible. Ideally you might be able to take advantage of teacher training or administrative days when you wouldn’t have to miss your own classes. If these will be your first visits, I recommend choosing a variety of schools to see, which will give you a sense of whether you prefer a big or small college, an urban or suburban setting, etc. Then prepare by reviewing these tips for college visits. And if you’re not able to travel to schools you’re interested in, look for opportunities to connect with colleges in your own area at college fairs, virtual tours and information sessions that colleges offer, and visits with college representatives at your high school that you might be able to participate in. As you do these visits and meetings, be sure to take notes on your impressions of the schools and what you do or don’t find appealing about them. This will help you figure out throughout the year which schools should actually end up on your list.

If you’re considering working with an independent educational consultant, this is also the perfect time to put that in place. For support to make the most of your college research and visits, planning for standardized tests, and preparing for the application process, I hope you’ll contact me about individual advising.