Counselor's Calendar

March College Checklist for Juniors

By Heather Keddie
Counselor’s Calendar: March

Timely advice from experts for students who want to stay on track during the college admissions process.

This week, The Choice is publishing our monthly Counselor’s Calendar, which is intended to keep students on track during the college admissions process.

This installment focuses on juniors. (Seniors, your March checklist was published on Monday.) We’ve asked Heather Keddie, the co-director of college guidance at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles, for admissions advice for the class of 2014. — Tanya Abrams

This is the part of your college search that does not have a lot of specific deadlines. It does, however, have a lot of things you need to do to stay on track and set yourself up for the best experience.

Juniors, here is your college admissions checklist for March:

Set the Tone

It is in your power to foster a positive dynamic with your parents early in this process. This is a bittersweet time for them, trust me. You grew up much faster than they were expecting. Establishing expectations now will help when things (inevitably) get a little touchy between you and your parents.

I am a big fan of the once-a-week policy, in which you and your parents set a weekly time to talk about your college search and application process. During this time, your parents are allowed to bring up anything that is on their minds and ask as many questions as they want. The rest of the week, college talk is off limits, unless you raise the subject. This is particularly helpful if your parents — armed with college questions galore — already seem to pounce the second you walk through the front door.

Your parents want to help and they deserve to be included in your thinking. Still, you are the one who is getting ready to go off to college, so you need to take the lead.

Visit Colleges and Universities

This is a great time to take campus tours and attend college information sessions. Make sure to fill out the visit cards of each campus; your visit demonstrates interest in the school, a positive sign to admission officers.

You will have an opportunity to ask questions during your campus visit. Just remember: you need to take the lead. You should ask the bulk of the questions, not your parents.

Bring a notebook with you and write down your impressions. Don’t just jot notes from the official presentation; include those little details that catch your eye.

Don’t stop at just the tour. While you’re visiting the college, give yourself a little time to just be on the campus and get a feel for the overall vibe of the place.

Think Ahead About Letters of Recommendation

It may seem early but now is a good time to start thinking about which teachers you might ask for a letter of recommendation. Don’t worry. You do not need to ask anyone for a letter just yet but planning ahead can make asking a little easier.

Many colleges will ask for two letters from faculty members who have had you in their classrooms in 11th or 12th grade. Who should you ask? One recommendation letter should come from a class that requires you to do a fair amount of writing, often English or history. The other should showcase another aspect of your learning — like science, math or a foreign language.

Ask the teachers who saw you perform at your best. Which teachers have sparked your curiosity? Which ones make you reconsider your own opinions? Those are the people you want writing for you.

Keep an Open Mind

Allow yourself to change your mind, even if you already have a set idea of where you plan to apply next fall.

If, in the course of researching colleges, you stumble upon a school that seems pretty much perfect but you have never heard of it, that’s O.K. It hasn’t heard of you, either.

You may find schools that resonate with who you are but do not match your plan. It is O.K. to change the plan.

In this phase, changing your mind and adjusting your criteria are not signs that you do not know what you want. Actually, they are indications that you are a flexible thinker with the confidence to trust your judgment.

Remember what Emerson said: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

Don’t Rush This Part

I think the anxiety and pressure students feel about college makes them want to skip ahead to the concrete stuff, to be done with all the reflection and research.

Here’s the thing: Visiting schools, thinking about what kind of undergraduate experience you want, and starting to create a list? That is the really fun part of applying to college.

I am sorry to tell you that there are very few times in your life when you get to choose where you want to live, the kind of people you want to spend time with, and the way you want to learn. You might as well make the most of the opportunity.

With all the hype and uncertainty surrounding applying to college, it is easy to approach the process from a place of fear. Fight that impulse. This process is about possibility. Enjoy this time and try to savor what a gift it is to be able to make choices like these. Have fun!

Do you have any college admissions advice for juniors? Would you like to share your thoughts about the school year? Please join the discussion in the comments box below.

This post was prepared in consultation with the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, a membership organization.

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Parents’ Guide to the College Puzzle March 5, 2013 · 12:31 pm

I especially support the idea of juniors visiting colleges in the next few months. Though a school may seem to have everything you’re looking for, it’s not until you set foot on campus that you can begin to get a sense of whether you can fit in there.

And do follow Heather Keddie’s advice and take your time through this part of the process.

MFallon March 5, 2013 · 1:41 pm

Junior year in high school is the best time to begin talking about college affordability. Parents and students can use net price calculators, required on all college and post-secondary school websites, to get an estimate of how much free grant money they will receive to reduce their cost. Sticker price minus free grants equals your net price. But the best NPCs don’t stop there. NPCs that ask 30 to 40 asset, income and military service questions, which takes only 10 minutes to use, offer very reliable estimates of total aid eligibility (free grants, loans, work study, military aid and most institutional scholarships). Subtract all aid from a college’s sticker price and you’ll have an accurate estimate of the affordability for colleges of interest. Discussing the cost of college in junior year helps a family frame the college search so students avoid colleges that will force them to borrow heavily.

Keith McKane March 5, 2013 · 2:16 pm

Ms. Keddie has put into words EXACTLY the right approach to take at this stage in life. Having seen our 3 children go through the process of selection, visiting, applying, financing, attending, etc… THIS is the kind of advice we (and my kids) could have really used. Stressing the importance of patience as well as their own “ownership” of their education is central to the entire experience. GREAT article, citing a superb source.

Maria March 5, 2013 · 2:31 pm

As a college freshman at Boston University, I spent countless hours my junior year of high school trying to figure out college- what I wanted in a university, where I wanted to go, and who I wanted to become. When looking back on my college search, the thing that I think is the most important for high school juniors to know is that they should look at a variety of schools. Looking at small, liberal arts colleges in the suburbs to large, city universities, I found that I could make my decision on where to apply by the feeling I had when I was on a college’s campus. Juniors, if you have the ability to visit the schools you are interested in, do visit. It will help you to narrow down your list of schools, and maybe inspire you to apply early decision or action to a school that you are passionate about. Don’t stress the application process when it begins in September. It is an exciting time! Good luck!

Andrea Torello March 5, 2013 · 2:48 pm

This is a very positive and helpful article! I particularly like the advice to be open to the possibilities of what you might discover in your search.

Dr. Frank Rudnesky March 5, 2013 · 3:00 pm

Keep an open mind about colleges that are close by your home. We have two excellent colleges near us that our daughter (a junior) refuses to visit. If nothing else, you can get a benchmark to compare other colleges. You can also live on campus that will seem like light years away.

Annie March 5, 2013 · 7:48 pm

Really excellent and compassionate advice! The part about setting the tone should be cut and pasted by all kids and forwarded to their parents–outstanding.

Mobiespion March 5, 2013 · 11:32 pm

I personally agree with this decision. Colleges should give some time to juniors prior to the start of classes. it will allow juniors to understand college rules and atmosphere very well.

A senior March 6, 2013 · 12:23 am

Great advice! The one thing I’m glad I did was work very hard on SAT practice. I took the test for the last time in May, and it was out of the way, leaving room for me to just narrow down my choices and write essays and such during fall of senior year.

Caren Raylesberg March 6, 2013 · 6:17 pm

Perfect advice re visiting! In addition, bittersweet for parents, this may be one of the last times the whole family will all be together on a road trip. College trips with the family, often with siblings in tow, can be fun with the right attitude. Each location will have an activity, whether it be sharing a meal, staying overnight at a hotel, or just driving in the car debating whose
music to listen to. Enjoy the time spent by including those around you in your quest for the right place for you. Share the joy!

Jared Earley March 10, 2013 · 8:54 am

I would add that college bound juniors should try very hard to complete all testing, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, during the spring of junior year. The fall of an applying senior can very very stressful. Therefore eliminating one aspect of the process will create a less frenzied fall.