Navigating Junior Year: A Comprehensive Guide to College Preparation and Beyond

Junior year is a pivotal time, filled with opportunities to shape your future. Whether you're a high school student setting your sights on college or a university student solidifying your path, this guide provides a roadmap for success.

For High School Students: Charting Your Course to College

As a high school junior, you're wrapping up your high school journey and preparing for the next big step: college. It's an important year with plenty to do each semester to stay on track.

First Semester (September-December): Laying the Foundation

Explore Your Interests and Career Paths: Start by identifying your interests and potential career paths. This will help you focus your college search and find programs that align with your goals. Many high school counselors have tools to help you find career possibilities that work with your likes and interests. Consider what you’d like to be growing up and write down what careers interest you. Keep your mind open and explore career ideas that fit your personality.
Research Colleges: Begin researching colleges that interest you. Use college search tools to explore different schools, their programs, and what they offer, including four-year universities, two-year colleges, and certificate programs. Make a list of your top-choice colleges and consider creating a working document of each college or university on your list. Take notes or make a list of questions you may have about each college.
Meet with Your Counselor: Schedule an appointment with your school counselor to discuss your college and career plans. Developing this relationship will help you two establish the best plan of action. Ask about upcoming college fairs, college representatives visiting your school, and explore brochures and catalogs in your counselor’s office.
Prepare for Standardized Tests: Consider the advantages of taking the ACT or SAT as a high school junior and develop study routines for these tests. Take the PSAT. Begin to prepare for the ACT or SAT. Plan to take at least one of these tests in the spring.
Estimate College Costs and Financial Aid: Use free tools and calculators to estimate how much college might cost and how much financial aid you may need. This will help you plan your finances and understand what resources are available to you. Have a conversation with your parents or caregivers to discuss how you’ll pay for school.
Get Involved: Get involved in extracurricular activities, such as clubs or sports teams. Consider taking on a leadership role in one of these, too. Start yourself an official Brag Sheet document. It will serve as your student resume and help you to remember all the volunteer work and activities you’re involved in. You can also use this to find gaps or opportunities to enhance yourself academically and personally.

Second Semester (January-May): Refining Your Focus

Continue Building Your College List: Expand your list of colleges by exploring different types, housing options, majors, sports, student organizations, and costs. A well-rounded list will give you more options to choose from when it’s time to apply.
Take or Retake the SAT/ACT: Register for the SAT/ACT if you haven’t taken it yet. Or consider retaking it to improve your score.
Learn About Financial Aid: Understand the different ways to get financial aid and gather necessary documents, such as your family’s tax returns. Discuss and research financial aid options with your parents and counselor. Consider how you’ll be paying for college and create a plan.
Consider AP Exams: If you’ve taken AP courses, discuss whether or not you should take the AP exam with your teacher or counselor. These AP tests can help you earn college credit and show colleges you’re motivated.
Plan for Senior Year: Begin discussing your proposed senior year classes with your high school counselor. Find subject area holes or courses that you should take to boost your GPA. See what AP courses your senior year offers and determine if they suit you. Planning your senior year class schedule in advance will save you from any surprises later.
Prepare for Recommendations: Also, think about what teachers and mentors you’d like to use in your letters of recommendation. Connect with these people and let them know your accomplishments and college plans.

Summer (June-August): Gaining Experience and Preparing Applications

Gain Work Experience: Find a full-time job, part-time job, or internship to gain valuable work experience. Adding these experiences to your brag sheet (also known as your student resume) will impress college admission teams and give you real examples to discuss in admissions interviews or essays. List out connections and professionals from career fields you’re interested in. Consider setting up a time for a job shadow or letting them know you’d be interested in a summer part-time job or internship if they have any.
Visit College Campuses: If possible, visit college campuses, attend information sessions, and take campus tours. Talking to current students and professors can provide a better understanding of the college environment. Schedule college tours if needed. Sign up beforehand and place these dates on your calendar to ensure they happen. Use this experience to narrow down your college-choice list.
Create a Résumé: Start creating a résumé to keep a record of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and work experience.
Prepare College Applications: Find out the application process for the colleges you’re interested in. Begin practicing with college essay drafts and create a list of items you’ll need to complete these college applications. Group your choice colleges into segments, like reach, target, and safety schools. Create a list of must-haves in your college choices. For instance, consider areas of study, clubs, organizations, and social life. Use this as an approach to find the best fit.

The Importance of Junior Year Grades and Course Rigor

Junior year grades are essential in establishing your academic maturity in admissions committee review. It’s imperative that you are working your hardest this year, to be able to showcase that you are truly “ready” for the academic challenges that await in college. Colleges and universities will also look at course schedules for senior year, as well as senior year grades. As you start to plan out your senior year courses, it’s important to keep rigor in mind. Colleges and universities are seeking students who have pushed themselves academically. Planning your senior year class schedule in advance will save you from any surprises later.

Building Relationships for Recommendations

Whether this is a school college counselor that has been newly assigned to you, or it is someone who has worked with you in a guidance setting for a longer period of time, now is the time to get to know your school college advisor. This person will be writing a letter of recommendation on your behalf - known as the counselor letter of recommendation, to each of the schools that you plan to apply to, so it’s important for them to be familiar with you as a person. You school college advisor should understand your academic goals and aspirations, as well as have a solid understanding of what you’ve been involved with already as you work towards those future goals.

Campus Visits and Demonstrated Interest

When deciding on which schools to visit, it is helpful to cast your net wide - see a variety of schools that represent a mixture of institutions. Colleges often track demonstrated interest as a factor in admissions decisions. Students can show colleges they’re genuinely interested in their institution by visiting their campus, attending information sessions, or meeting with admission representatives.

For University Students: Shaping Your Path at WMU (and Beyond)

As a junior at Western Michigan University (WMU), you're now a full-fledged Bronco, and it's time to solidify your academic and career path. This is the year to build your resume with related experiences and prepare for life after graduation.

Experience-Driven Learning: The Bronco Advantage

For most WMU students, real-world experience is a valuable component of their education. A significant percentage of graduates participate in Experience-Driven Learning, gaining practical skills and knowledge that enhance their career prospects.

Planning Your Experience-Driven Learning

Now is the time to make a plan and talk to your advisor about various experiential learning opportunities:

Research and Creative Activity Experiences: Work alongside faculty on scholarly activities in the laboratory, classroom, field, or studio.
Honors Thesis Projects: If you're an honors student, collaborate with expert faculty on an original piece of research or creative activity.
Capstone Experiences: These are designed so students can extend and apply the knowledge gained throughout their studies.
Consider a thesis, capstone or practicum experience.

Graduation Audit: Are You on Track?

While graduation may seem distant, this year you should finalize your Degree Works plan and apply to graduate. Working with your advisor, complete and submit an Application for Graduation Audit form approximately one year prior to your anticipated graduation date or once you have completed a certain number of credit hours.

Preparing for Life After WMU

There are many options for where you go next-work, graduate school, a fellowship. Give yourself a head start before approaching the job market:

Read also: Freshman to Senior: A Guide

Review Your Materials: Do your resume and cover letter include your latest internship experience?

General Advice for All Students

Financial Considerations and Scholarship Applications

The cost of college can have an outsized impact on your life for decades. That’s why it’s important to discuss college affordability with your family before you begin applying for admission. If finances are a taboo topic in your house, here are some tips to help you start the conversation. After discussing affordability with your family, you may decide you need help offsetting some college costs. Be sure you’re applying for at least four scholarships per month. Apply for as many scholarships as possible now, as your senior year will be very busy. Find out the tuition and other fees required to attend your top colleges. Do these colleges and universities tend to offer generous financial aid packages? This is a smart way to narrow down your list. Use your free time this summer to apply for scholarships. Make it a habit by setting a weekly summertime goal!

The Role of Standardized Tests

While many colleges and universities remain test-optional, you do want to plan to submit test scores if you can. You have two options for testing - the SAT and the ACT, and truly, the choice is up to you as to which one you will take. Some students distinctly prefer one exam over the other, while other students find that they score about the same on both. What’s nice is that you have the option to choose which exam works best for you, colleges and universities do not have a preference here. Register for a spring SAT and/or ACT.

The Importance of Extracurriculars and Leadership

Have you joined a school club or do you volunteer in your community? If so, now is a great time to step up to a leadership role with your group. If not, get involved in something that interests you, be it a club, a team, a community organization, or your church. Consider extracurricular activities for next year. Continue participating in extracurricular activities. These commitments demonstrate your interests and leadership skills to colleges. Learn why extracurriculars matter and how to get involved.

Developing a "Brag Sheet" or Student Resume

Start yourself an official Brag Sheet document. It will serve as your student resume and help you to remember all the volunteer work and activities you’re involved in. You can also use this to find gaps or opportunities to enhance yourself academically and personally. Nail down your summer plans. Consider a part-time job or volunteer work in your community. Adding these experiences to your brag sheet (also known as your student resume) will impress college admission teams and give you real examples to discuss in admissions interviews or essays.

The Value of Campus Visits (Virtual or In-Person)

Now that you’ve developed your initial list, spend the rest of your junior year visiting as many campuses as possible. Take the official tour. Explore campus on your own. Talk to students. Eat in the dining hall. If you can’t visit in person, most colleges have developed robust virtual tours that explore the highlights on campus, from classrooms to residence halls to student centers. Find and schedule virtual tours of colleges and universities that interest you.

Read also: Unlock Junior Scholarships

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