Juniors
The Critical Pre-College Year
March 30, 2008
Counselors in both college and high school agree that if a student doesn't "get it together" by the end of his junior year, he will not attain a goal of a first-rank university admission. By the end of the junior year, students should have their organization skills well in hand. They should be able to produce assignments a day or two before deadlines, and do so by setting intermediate check-points and meeting those expectations. Their home archives should make it possible for them to review for tests with just a few minutes of "hunting," and their research skills should make it easy for them to pull up several references on and off-line without ever seeing the word "wikipedia."
Juniors should know their desires for college in general, and begin researching specific institutions with the characteristics and size they want. They should spend some time visiting universities they have an interest in, and perhaps take a summer institute at their favorite, to see what the campus life and professors are like. On-campus living also gives the student an opportunity to ask real students about the school, both the positive and challenging aspects.
