Junior year is known as one of the most stressful years of high school. When they’re not studying for the SAT, juniors are busy losing their minds over college. They constantly wonder whether or not their grades are good enough, if they have a sufficient amount of extracurriculars or if they are able to get accepted into their dream school. Many juniors consider planning for college in the summer before senior year since they have enough on their plate throughout the school year.
Starting off this process, many start requesting letters of recommendation from their teachers at the end of the school year. Students select what teachers they will ask for a recommendation based on their relationship, how well they know each other, for how long they’ve known each other, the student’s performance in their class, the subject based on what they want to major in and multiple other factors. Once they have secured their letters of recommendation, students are ready to move on to their next step.
There is no right or wrong way to go about preparing for college. For some, the next step may be researching what colleges they might consider applying to.
“So far, I’ve gone on college tours, talked to my college counselor about my college list as I have been working on it,” junior Cristina Simpson said.
Choosing what colleges students want to apply to is a long process that involves thorough research. Many even visit those colleges to ensure they meet their expectations.
“For me, key factors in my college research were the prestige and the ranking of the school,” Simpson said.
Although most students are mindful of how reputable and high-ranking the colleges they are looking at are, others consider other aspects.
“I’m not really looking for a prestigious school; more like a school that values students and takes account of what they have to say,” junior Candice Nsoga-Mahob said.
Another aspect students tend to look at is the atmosphere and the student life. For some, it is important to have a large student population, while for others it may not be a problem. Each individual student has their own criteria of what they ideally want their college life to look like. After all, it is going to be their home for the next four years.
Over the summer, since students are not concerned with school anymore, they often take a portion of their free time and dedicate themselves to writing their personal statements.
“I created an outline of what I want my personal statement to be. Over the summer, I’m really going to hack away at the Common App essays,” Nsoga-Mahob said.
Although students may feel distressed or nervous about college, it is still something to look forward to, as they are entering a new era of their lives.
“I’m excited for meeting new people, making new memories and being successful,” junior Isan Garduno Weisblatt said.
