Hey guys! I was wondering what I should be doing during my junior summer to help prepare for college applications. Should I focus on studying for standardized tests, working on my essays, or something else? Thanks for any suggestions!
Hello! It's great that you're thinking ahead and planning for your college applications. Your junior summer is an excellent time to prepare. I would recommend the following activities to help you get ready:
1) Study for standardized tests, as you mentioned, such as the SAT or ACT. This will give you ample time to practice and improve your scores.
2) Research colleges and universities. Make a list of schools you're interested in and learn about their application requirements, deadlines, and programs. You can even start thinking about trying to plan a campus visit, if that's feasible for your family's schedule and finances.
3) Look for opportunities to gain experiences and build your resume. Those can include internships, volunteering, or part-time jobs. You can also start thinking about potential leadership opportunities to pursue in your extracurriculars at school now that you're an upperclassman, such as the captainship of your team or the presidency of your club.
Regarding your essays, there's no need to get started this early. It can even end up being counterproductive, as you're going to grow a lot between now and next year, so you probably haven't even yet had some of the experiences you'll end up wanting to write about. It's always good to reflect on how you're learning and developing throughout the year, for yourself as much as for your college essays, but don't worry about drafting anything or looking at Common App essay examples just yet.
I hope these tips help, and best of luck in your college application journey!
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