With the end of the sophomore year in sight, now is the time to plan for the all-important junior year. No doubt, its arrival approaches with trepidation. Coursework escalates, pressure builds, college considerations loom, and standardized testing nears. You may feel that your son or daughter has just begun high school – after all, he or she has yet to bank two years and may not have hit that final major growth spurt – but the junior year awaits.
In my experience from working with high school students and their parents, I have heard expressed surprise about the following pieces of the high school puzzle. Parents and their children often wish that they had known more about these important choices earlier.
1. Consider whether to hire a college counselor outside of your child’s high school college counselor.
College counselors often charge a flat fee for the full array of services offered, which includes, among many other things, guidance in course selection, résumé-building, appropriate college considerations, financial aid, testing, recommendation letters, applications, and essay-writing. Timing can be of the essence. Early preparation leads ultimately to stronger applications.
As you consider whether hiring an outside college counselor is something your family should pursue, weigh the following:
· How knowledgeable are you about the process? If your knowledge is based on the fact that you applied to colleges many years ago, you need help!
· What is the college counselor-to-student ratio at your child’s school? Some school counselors are so overburdened that they only have time to attend to the essentials, and much of the guidance piece may fall to the curb.
· What type of college will your child pursue? If your child will likely seek admission to a highly selective college, more support may be desirable.
· How much is your family willing to invest in the process? College counselors can be expensive, so striking the right economic balance, deciding how and when to use them, is advised.
Bottom line, if you want to learn more, I encourage a consultation with a college counselor now as you weigh the merits of this important decision. (Referrals available upon request.)
2. Set a Reasonable but High Bar as Your Child Selects Classes for Next Year.
Generally, your child should be reaching his or her academic stride at the onset of the junior year. In the early high school years – as freshmen and sophomores – students often face an adjustment period. They may make a misstep in a class, perhaps in many classes, as they struggle to get their footing. Poor grades may accrue, or, worse, other blemishes may appear on their high school transcripts. All is not lost. If maturity sets in, demonstrating growth and improvement can make a huge statement.
Whether your child has struggled during the first two years of high school or not, the rigor in coursework during his or her junior year matters. Appropriate progression is desired, not only to earn admission to most colleges but also, and more importantly, to instill a strong work ethic. If your child was successful in honors English during the ninth and tenth grade years, moving on to AP English Language and Composition may be an appropriate and needed step up in rigor. Success in college and in life, in general, often hinges on a person’s diligence – his or her willingness to work hard. Setting a reasonable but high bar for your child will help to instill this virtue.
3. Consider a standardized testing schedule now.
Most students take the SAT or the ACT during their junior year. Taking these tests without proper preparation is inadvisable. Many colleges require that students submit all test scores when applying, so “getting a baseline score” often is not in your child’s best interests, unless, of course, it is done so privately, through practice. Planning testing dates and considering preparation in advance is essential.
Your child and your family likely have a busy schedule. While the SAT and the ACT offer abundant test dates, fitting those dates into your family calendar requires prioritizing. Then, working backwards a few months, at least, to ensure time for adequate preparation is warranted. (Please contact me if you are interested in test prep.)
Students considering college engineering programs or highly selective universities may need to schedule SAT Subject Tests as well. Deliberating which subject tests to take and when to take them is a vital, sometimes overlooked, piece of the puzzle. These test day options are limited, and often students are best served to take these at the conclusion of the academic year.
4. Schedule College Visit Days Early.
Parents are often surprised to learn that campus tours and information sessions are filled to capacity during high school breaks and that many colleges do not offer weekend tours or admissions sessions. If you know now, as you child finishes his or her sophomore year, that your child will want to tour a particular college next year, plan ahead. Decide when your family may have the opportunity to conduct this critical due diligence and book your information sessions and tours early, which does not necessarily mean that you should accelerate your visit, only your planning. Observing a university in person and evaluating how well it meets your child’s desires and needs is critical to the applications and admissions decisions to follow. Colleges track school visitations and log this information as reflective of a student’s demonstrated interest, so ensuring that this box is checked is important in many more ways than one.
Should you have questions about these critical decisions or any others that your high school student faces, feel free to contact me for more information. I am happy to guide you, based on your child’s personal record, and to refer you to a college counselor. I also offer test prep, with summer and fall enrollments options available next month.