Hello all,
I am a rising junior and was wondering if there anyone had any general advice for junior year.
A little bit about me:
In the top 3% (one of the top ten students) of my graduating class with all A’s on my transcript.
Took 4 AP’s as a sophomore and received three 4’s and one 5.
I plan to take 7 AP’s as a junior.
Thanks,
KG5APR
Stay on top of deadlines, study diligently for your standardized tests, and get some sleep!
What AP’s are you taking? You may be able to get advice from people who have taken those classes.
@LeopardFire
2017:
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP English Language and Composition
AP European History
AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP Spanish Language and Culture
AP United States History
2016:
AP Art History - 4
AP Calculus AB - 4
AP Computer Science - 5
AP World History - 4
2015:
AP Human Geography - 4
Take ACT or SAT in Fall or at least earliest Spring date. Prep for PSAT even if it is a fiasco.
Be strict with yourself about your sleep schedule. This was very difficult for me over junior year. It’s a challenging year with plenty of homework and studying, and it will be tempting to sacrifice sleep. DON’T. Try as hard as you can to adhere to a regular sleep schedule, and you will have a much better year.
Tour as many colleges as you can. Preferably not over a break so you can see students in action. Tour a variety of schools to find out what you like (big,small, LAC etc.) Don’t get caught up in big names either! Just enjoy your junior year! My biggest problem was that I constantly compared myself to other people; don’t worry about everyone else!
If you haven’t already, you should definitely join an after school activity. Try out for a sports team or theatrical production, join an academic club, or volunteer at a place near you. These activities are super important for two reasons. One, top colleges and universities are very concerned with what they call a “holistic approach” to admissions. What that means is that the admissions is process is more than just your test scores, GPA, and course schedule. They want to see you getting involved in your community. I know kids from my school who took course loads like yours, had straight A’s, got a 36 on the ACT, and were National Merit Finalists, but still got rejected from their top schools because they had very little involvement in any extracurricular activities.
The second reason extracurriculars are important is because they’re tons of fun! I’m sure you have some subject that you’re really passionate about. Find an activity that helps you learn more about that subject, or else learn a new skill that just strikes you as interesting. Learning doesn’t always have to take place in a classroom, and there are some things that can’t be taught by a textbook. Extracurriculars can also be a great way to relieve stress. Although some sports and “academic teams” (think science olympiad or speech team) are still highly competitive, others are super chill and might give you a chance to relax from all the stress that’s sure to come from taking 7 AP classes.
Speaking of all those AP classes, if you try to join a club or sport (or both) and find that you don’t have enough time to do everything, I would strongly recommend dropping some AP classes before you drop the club. Although AP classes are great, there’s absolutely no reason you need to take that many AP classes. It won’t make colleges like you less if you drop AP European History for mock trial, in fact, it will probably strengthen your application (see my first point). And there’s no reason you would need the college credit from European History, American History, and World History. Any one of those classes should cover the history requirement at any LAC.
Most importantly, I hope that whatever you choose to do, you don’t stress yourself out by trying to do too much.You only get to be in high school once, enjoy it while you can.
Message me if you have any questions!
That is a lot of APs! As someone who just finished junior year, taking two and an honors class was stressful, so I am concerned about your mental health- you do need time to sleep, eat and simply have some fun. Junior year, IMO, is one of the toughest years of high school. That being said, I commend you for your dedication and commitment to rigorous classes.
I took APUSH and AP Lang (just the exam) this year, so I can offer advice for those two classes. APUSH was not difficult for me at all, but I love US History. My recommendations for APUSH are to stay completely on top of the readings- I would do all my readings for the week on Sunday, to free up my weeknights. Take diligent notes, and begin preparing at least a month in advance for the exam. Trust me, there is a lot of material to relearn from the beginning of the year. Get the Crash course book- it is so helpful.
The best prep for the AP Lang test is to read a lot, as it will make you a better writer. Again, get the crash course book. Honestly I studied for the exam 2 days before, read the whole book and read some tips online. I got a 5.
Find 2 or 3 subjects you like, and plan to take SAT Subject tests in them. Depending on what you want to major in (which you may not know yet, but if you have an idea it could help), one might need to be a science or a math. I mention this because often, for some of the tests, it is easier to take the SAT II during APs, since you are already reviewing. I did this for the US History subject test, with only one practice test the night before- it is a very easy SAT II. I would also recommend Math II, since you are taking BC Calc.
Lastly, join some fun clubs! Find an extracurricular you are really passionate about. Colleges want to see that you have a life outside of school. Best of luck for junior year!