Many people say that Junior year is the hardest year of a high school student's career, but I would have to disagree. I think the most difficult and crucially important time is the summer before your senior year. This is the time when you can make many changes and improvements to your college application in order to be successful when you are applying to schools in the fall. If used wisely it could lead to great success.
First things first, if you are planning on retaking the SAT or ACT now is the perfect time to register for the test of your preference to make sure you are not missing the deadlines since college board and ACT has specific dates in which you can take each test. Set a goal for yourself to study everyday even if it’s just 20 minutes.
Second, focusing on making a list of the colleges and universities that you would like to attend is very beneficial if you do it over the summer. This way you can also see what are the requirements for each school so that you are prepared and know what to expect. Also check to see if you are able to book some campus tours in order to familiarize yourself with the campus environment to see if this is the right school for you. You may even be able to ask current students in the school for their opinions on how life is living on campus.
Lastly, start brainstorming ideas on what you will write about for your college essays and personal statements. Make your essay intriguing; admission officers read tons of essays daily so you must try your best to impress them in your essay when they read it. Since it doesn't happen overnight, by writing small sentences that come up from time to time in your head you would be surprised how far you can get by just jotting down a few ideas.
After you have written your final draft for your essay make sure to give it to at least two people for them to read it over so that you get a second opinion. Listen to what they have to say but do not change things in your essay if you feel that it is what personally describes you. Personally, I would pick my English teacher and my counselor to read my essay since they are two trustworthy people that know me best and have good writing skills.
Sending all rising seniors the best of luck. You got this!
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