 I'm often asked "my child is a junior, should we already be gearing up to apply to college?"
Well... the answer is yes and no. College Applications don't typically open until the fall, and therefore, there's not a whole lot for your student to do as far as completing their application. However, by the end of their junior year they should started their research of both the type of school they'd like to attend (this doesn't need to specific but more general- i.e. large school with a greek system, small private liberal arts, a military college) as well as what would like to major in. The days of going to school undeclared are dwindling away. Schools want to see that future students are passionate, motivated, and well versed in the field of study they selected. That being said, they don't have to have their whole life already figured out! They can always switch majors (although not promised) after they are admitted. For example, I had a previous student who wanted to pursue a career in criminology only to discover after her freshman year of college that she would rather pursue an elementary teaching career. The idea behind knowing what you want to do prior to going to school is to show you're not just going to go. That the student has a plan (even if it changes- because let's face it, that's just life) and that they are willing to put in the effort to execute that plan. They have completed a summer internship, shadowed a professional in their field, competed in academic competitions, or participated in ROTC. Schools want to see young students who take it upon themselves to innate further learning in the field of study they are interested in pursuing in college. So to answer the question above, yes your junior should be researching school as well as the area of studies that they want to pursue. Yes, they should spend part of their summer between junior and senior year looking for additional opportunities to expand their knowledge and interest in their desired subject. No, they can't really complete their applications until the fall of their senior year. |
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