junior

Junior Application Process

Also in College Application Process:
Introduction | Junior Application Process | Senior Application Process | Sophomore Application Process

Fall of Your Junior Year

• Become involved in extracurricular activities here at MSSM or continue working with activities in which you already participated. Remember, colleges do not want to see you involved in fifty activities you don't care about. Choose one or two activities that are truly important to you, perhaps something you were already involved in at your sending school, and throw yourself into them. A college would rather see you change the world with one activity then be a part of every activity. Stick with activities. Grow with them and in them.

• Do your Academic Best. Of course, you ALWAYS do, but this is the year at which colleges will look most closely. With that in mind, do your very best in the most appropriately challenging courses.

• PSATs (again?). During the Fall of your Junior Year, you will be expected to prepare and take the PSAT. This test, usually given on the morning before October Extended Weekend, will be the kick-off for your participation in the National Merit Competition (which can result in helpful and well-respected scholarships). All Sophomores are automatically registered for the PSAT. To learn more about this test, see http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html .

• Continue to attend any college presentation that you can. Throughout the year, we will bring many different types of college representatives to the school. Often, these reps will have informal information sessions in the upper lounge of the dorm, outside of the Residence Staff Office. You can stop it at these meetings on your way back from class or up to dinner and learn an awful lot about different types of colleges. There will also be more formal presentations made by the Director of College Counseling and visiting representatives. These more formal presentations are required, so you can't help but learn!

• Continue working up a list of schools you find interesting, this includes visits and explorations. If you want more help organizing this process, schedule a meeting with the College Counselor.

• Keep talking with your parents about colleges. Encourage them to visit for Parents' Weekend, so that they can learn more about the process first-hand!

Spring of Your Junior Year

• Begin Taking Junior Seminar. This course will mark the beginning of your formal, active college search. Each week, you and a small group of your fellow Juniors will meet with the college counselor to learn more about the college process and colleges in general, as well as beginning to have workshop sessions related to your applications.

• Meet one-on-one with the College Counselor. In this meeting, you will look over your PSAT/NMSQT results and discuss how they affect your college list. At this time, you should also set up a "Team" Meeting (see below).

• Meet with the Registrar. Review your transcript and receive an unofficial copy.

• Contact Colleges to set up Early Visits and Interviews.

• Exams. Take the ACT and/or SAT Reasoning Tests, the SAT Subject Tests and AP exams (if appropriate).

• Plan an appropriately challenging, balanced, healthy Senior Year schedule. This planning includes academic and extracurricular work-load, as well as social and family commitments.