Your junior year of high school is the busiest academic year you might ever have!  However, college applications are also right around the corner, and those are a big reason that you’re even doing this whole school thing, right?  While you’re swamped with assignment after assignment, try not to forget these tips for your college applications – your senior self will thank you next year!  (Seriously – these tips address all of the biggest struggles and concerns that the seniors I’ve worked with face when they have to fill out college apps.)

1. Keep Your Grades Up

First and foremost, you’re in school to learn, and your GPA should reflect all that great knowledge you’re absorbing!  Before you focus on any of these other tips, make sure you’re doing what you need to do to keep your grades up – like paying attention in class, making quality time for your homework, using effective note-taking techniques, and getting help from your teachers, peers, or tutors if you have questions.

2. Connect With Your Teachers

You are going to need 2-3 teacher letters of recommendation for your college applications, so make sure some of your teachers know you well.  These letters can really help your application stand out if your recommenders have some quality feedback on your interests, talents, and unique abilities…and while you can give your teacher a list of things to mention next year, the letter will unquestionably be better if your teacher actually remembers you and really is interested in recommending you to your desired colleges.  (Plus, motivated teachers get their letters done faster, which will save you stress next fall.)

So, participate in class, put some effort into your assignments, and maybe even strike up a conversation with your teacher or ask them for help the next time you have a question about something from class. You don’t have to do anything over the top to stand out!

3. Choose Your Activities Carefully

Because you’re so busy, you might find that you have to cut some of your after-school activities.  For your own good, and for the good of your resume next fall for your college apps, try to keep the ones that:

• really mean something to you
• keep your interests diverse (if you play the trumpet but plan to go pre-med, don’t automatically drop music just to spend more hours in the lab)
• you have been involved with for a long time (as long as they still matter to you)

If you’re working, try to find a job that is at least a little bit enjoyable or relevant to your future.  If you can get even a one- or two-week internship in an office, lab, or other workplace that’s not retail or food service (and preferably not with mom or dad), you will learn so much that will help you when it comes to choosing your college major in a few years – and be glad for the experience when you see your college application essay questions.

If you volunteer, look for opportunities that are relevant to your interests (academic or otherwise) rather than settling for whatever is easy and gives you service hours the fastest.  (Secret bonus – you will actually enjoy what you’re doing when you feel like you’re being useful.)

4. Keep Your Social Life In Balance…

…by which I mean “you don’t have to attend every party”.  There will be lots of (better) parties during your senior year when some of the pressure is off, and of course in college and beyond.  Friends matter, stress relief matters, and life isn’t all about school – but future you will regret choosing partying and football games over the GPA you know you could have had.  (Future you will also regret it if you stay home with your dog all weekend, every weekend.)  Your first semester senior year grades can keep you out of college, but your junior year grades can get you in.

5. Be A Leader

If you haven’t ever held an official leadership role like a student government or club office, this is the year to look for a leadership opportunity at school or in any of your outside activities.  Some ideas:

• Start a club or group that focuses on one of your main interests
• Start a (very) small (unofficial) business – turn your babysitting or lawnmowing gigs into something a little more formal
• Organize a service event like an outing to volunteer at the Food Bank, or a donation drive for a charity that means something to you
• Solve a problem at your school or in your neighborhood

6. Write It Down

Keep a list of the clubs and activities in which you participate.  Keep a list of all of your work and volunteer opportunities – along with some brief notes on what you did, when you did it, and the name and contact info for your supervisor.  I know you think that you will remember, but in 12 months you will be scrolling through your old texts and emails and hoping to find any clues to help you remember all of your activities and accomplishments.

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Junior year is so busy that you might be tempted to let one (or all) of these tips slide, but that’s exactly what the high school seniors I’ve worked with over the past 17+ years did that landed them with these common regrets!  A few minutes of thinking and studying now will save you weeks of difficulty next fall.