High school upperclassmen are arguably one of the most stressed groups of people in society. With college applications right around the corner, many students have trouble determining what exactly they need to do to prepare.
In this post, I’ll be showing you all the actionable steps you need to take right now in order to fully prepare for college. If you’re still not sure what to expect with college applications, check out the Ultimate College Prep Guide For High School Upperclassmen first.
If you know what the college application process is like and just need some clear guidance on what you can do right now, then you’re ready to dive right into this post.
A quick disclaimer: I am a student, not a college admissions officer, and all of my advice is based on personal experience as well as advice from other students. Though I hope that this post will be helpful to you, please take all this information with a grain of salt.
At the end of the post, I’ve also included a PDF version of this list, which you can download. Now, let’s get into the post!
High School Juniors
The junior year of high school is probably the most stressful year out of the four. During your junior year, you’re supposed to be taking difficult classes, preparing for the SAT, maxing out your extracurriculars, and preparing for college applications.
However, before you stress out, take a look at this list of action items.
Semester 1
First semester is a good time to start prepping — it might seem early since you won’t actually be taking college admission tests at this time, much less apply for colleges yet, but that will sneak up on you before you know so it’s best to get a good start.
Here are the things you should do during first semester of junior year:
- Start studying for the SAT and/or the ACT
- Take the PSAT
- Build good relationships with your teachers (your 11th-grade teachers are most likely going to write your letters of recommendation)
- Become an officer of a club you’ve been a part of
- List out colleges you’d like to attend
- Research the acceptance requirements for these colleges
- List out your extracurricular activities and achievements so far
- Start researching college applications
- Search for scholarships and competitions for juniors
- Study hard and get good grades
- Find a long-term volunteer opportunity
Semester 2
When second semester rolls around, it’s time to get serious about your college prep. Here’s what you should be doing during the second half of 11the grade to prepare:
- Take the SAT and/or the ACT
- Volunteer in your community
- Continue researching college and career options
- Attend college fairs
- Meet with your guidance counselor to plan out your summer and senior year
- Find internships and check their deadlines
- Apply to summer programs
- Apply for scholarships
- Choose appropriate classes for senior year
- Try to challenge yourself, and make sure you’ve met graduation requirements!
- Reach out to writers for your letters of recommendation
- Schedule tours of colleges you’d like to visit
Summer break
Things start ramping up the summer after junior year! Here’s what you should do:
- Visit colleges you’re interested in
- Work at a summer job
- Volunteer in your community
- Make sure to volunteer for enough hours to graduate!
- Start working on your college application
- Start planning your essays!
- Continue to search for and apply for scholarships
- Obtain letters of recommendation
- Retake the SAT or the ACT if you feel that you can improve your score
YOU’LL LOVE THIS POST: 7 Terrible Study Habits To Quit Immediately
High School Seniors
Welcome to your last year of high school! It’s easy to catch a case of “senioritis” during your last year of high school, but don’t slack off just yet! Colleges do still look at your achievements from your senior year (at least the first semester), so it’s still important to work hard.
Semester 1
First semester of senior year is arguably the most important. It can be stressful, but take a deep breath because you’ve got this! This is when things start to get serious and you’ll be submitting your college applications before the end of the calendar year.
Here are the things that are top priorities right now:
- Take the SAT or the ACT if you haven’t already
- Continue your college applications
- Make a calendar of important dates (deadlines, interviews, visits…)
- Volunteer in your community
- Study hard and get good grades
- Obtain your letters of recommendation
- Complete your college applications
- Double and triple check all the requirements!
- Continue to apply for scholarships
- Work a part-time job and start saving up money
Semester 2
It’s not time to develop senioritis just yet, but you can relax a little bit because the hardest part is over now! During the second semester of 12th grade, you’ll mainly be waiting to hear back from colleges (which happens in the spring) and then deciding which college you will attend and making preparations for that.
Here’s what you should be doing this semester:
- Keep your grades up
- Be on the lookout for mail from colleges
- Choose your school (notify colleges by May 1st)
- Complete paperwork for college admissions
- Continue to apply for scholarships
- Work a part-time job and save up money
Summer break
Aaaand college is on the horizon! Congratulate yourself for a job well done and enjoy this summer, while keeping these college prep tasks in mind:
- Start getting ready for college move-in
- Research about student loans
- Continue to search for and apply for scholarships
- Work and save up money
Conclusion
And that’s it! By taking these steps, you’ll be on your way to becoming well-prepared for college. I hope these tips were helpful and that you’ve got a clearer idea of what to do in the moment!
If you’re looking for more high school and college-related posts like this one, check these out:
- 11 Summer Activities For High School Students That Impress Colleges
- 20 Actionable Steps To Become An Outstanding Student
- How To Build Your Perfect College List in 8 Steps
