<p>I am going to be a junior this September..For those of you who have 'lived' junior year, how hard is it really? (considering that you're taking APs, want to score the best possible on SATs ~2300, taking 3 SAT IIS, involved in ECS w/ leadership roles) I'm really really nervous. Please share your experiences and give advice. How did you manage it all?</p>
<p>^^You manage it the same way you eat an elephant - one spoonful at a time. </p>
<p>Take your challenges as they come and don’t lump them all together. Look at the spoonfuls and not the whole elephant. Otherwise you’ll be defeated before you ever start.</p>
<p>Look at it this way. You need to do the APs and other classes every day. They are a steady, day-in/ day-out task. Just jump on them from the start and keep a steady effort all term long. The SATs and Subject tests are special occasions that you can cram for on the side. Buy the big Blue Book and use the Xiggi method to prepare for the main SAT.</p>
<p>Don’t try to take all three Subject Tests on the same sitting. Take them right after you’ve finished the corresponding course work.</p>
<p>And most of all, relax. You are heading down a path that millions have successfully trod before you. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly doable.</p>
<p>PS: The junior year is actually not the most stressful time. The first half of your senior year is. Because then you have to do all the same things you did as a junior plus write all those admissions essays and complete all your apps.</p>
<p>don’t start drinking and find close friends with good senses of humor to lighten the mood</p>
<p>Wasn’t that hard for me. I took the SAT (2290), two SAT IIs (760, 800), two APs (4, 5), got the best grades in my life, did the most in my ECs ever. It took maybe an extra 5% effort than sophomore year. </p>
<p>Tip: don’t obsess over the SAT I like many of my friends. they ended up taking it like 5 times which really distracts from everything else. try it once in the fall. if not happy, take one in the spring. if still unhappy, take one in the fall of senior year. You don’t need to take the test every month.</p>
<p>I’m gaining confidence…Thank You!! Any more personal stories of survival??</p>
<p>the “eating an elephant” tidbit is good as a reminder to not let yourself get overwhelmed - it’s not as much as it seems - but i’d also recommend that you look for things you like in your classes. it makes learning and doing well much easier than if you hate the subject matter. almost every course has some interesting stuff inside it if you take the time to appreciate it.</p>
<p>anyway, i did all the stuff you mentioned and, looking back it really is a lot. but it’s over a whole damn year, so don’t sweat it too much</p>
<p>Outside of a few select times of the year, mainly early May, when I had AP tests, early exams, performances and tech week in ballet, SATs, and more, all at once, I found junior year to be just as easy as previous years and more fulfilling.
I took 4 APs, Calc BC, Art History, Human Geography, and English language, and got 4’s a 5’s. I got one B first semester, in Calc, expected, as for all but one grading period, 1st semester freshman year, I have had all A’s with a B in math, and then straight A’s second semester. My SAT score was in the range you mentioned in your OP, my SAT IIs (taken in June, so I guess technically “after” my senior year) were 690 (retaking!), 770, and 760.
As for ECs, I took more ballet, involving myself in 4 rather than 3 days a week (going up to 5 days this year). I joined Quiz Team, which is typically 2 days a week and makes for a tight but manageable fit with ballet. I tutored, both privately for free, and paid for by my school as part of a “Saturday Success” program. I increased my activity within my school’s community service club, and so on.</p>
<p>If I were to write out my weekly schedule, it might look a bit intense, but really it wasn’t. And it was a ton of fun.</p>
<p>Just don’t freak. You’ll see how it comes. My mother looked at my schedule at the beginning of the year and started begging me to take it a bit easier. That worried me, and I considered changes, but you really have to see how it works out for you. But oftentimes, it looks harder than it is. If it’s what you want to do, go to the limits, within reason, of your abilities. You can learn a lot about that of which you’re capable.
As for expanding on the YMMV idea, what’s great advice for others may be unnecessary or even wrong for you. I’m sure the Xiggi method of prep works great for some people, but to me and for me, intensive, long term SAT prep is, well, unnecessary, to put it kindly. More YMMV: my highest SAT II score was on a test where I had never taken the class and I took 3 tests in one sitting and my lowest score was the test I took first, so the others did not affect it. I repeat, you’ll see how it comes, so do what works for you, whether it’s the norm or heterodox.</p>
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<p>Took the SAT in the fall(2370) and three subjects in the spring(800/790/780) and got 5’s on 5 AP tests. I got A’s in all of my classes(and this was from a school where the average gpa of students going to Cornell/Duke is under a 3.5). I earned leadership positions in ECs and played sports all three seasons as well. </p>
<p>The key for me was staying in control. There are those people who say “wow you’re lucky to be a genius” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You figure out what you need to know, and then you study until you know it. No exceptions, no excuses. Eat lots of food, drinks lots of water, work quickly so you have time to sleep(i generally got 7 hours, but there were a few tough weeks when I got 5). Use most of the weekend to rest. Don’t run out and do 10 hours of volunteering. You can’t do everything. Pick your battles carefully, and make sure to win them.</p>
<p>Junior year as a lot of people is very important. Just make sure you concentrate on your grades, especially if you’re taking AP and honors courses. This is the mistake I did at the beginning of junior year, I let my grades slip and it hurt my GPA considerably. Also, practice, practice, and practice some more for your standardized tests. Take both the SAT and ACT and see which one you feel more comfortable on/did better on. After my PSAT results (187) I went to Kaplan SAT Prep Course which helped me raise my score to a 2270. I never needed help on the math section, but it gave me good tips for the critical reading and writing sections. I know a lot of people here will say Kaplan and other prep courses are a waste, they are probably right. Just study from the Official SAT Study Guide and Barron’s and take as many practice tests as you can. As for extracurricular activities, if you are already in a few clubs, continue to be in them (especially if you like them and you are an active member in it). Don’t be afraid to start your own club, even as a junior. Good luck! Senior year is just as important though grade wise.</p>
<p>50 hour weeks.</p>
<p>I’m talking homework.</p>
<p>^ No way! I go to a rigorous college prep boarding school and had one of the hardest schedules junior year. 50 hour weeks means basically 9 hrs on monday to thursday, and on sunday (assuming that the weekend is mostly for play and relaxation, which it was for me; I only did projects if any hw at all on fri/sat) for homework??</p>
<p>Or are you counting class time too?</p>
<p>I did 3 varsity sports.
a full course-load of AP/H classes
volunteered
clubs
church activites
etc.
and i can tell you i contemplated suicide a few times.
but i am a survivor so you can do it too!</p>
<p>Thank You Soooo Much!! I have high hope in terms of the SAT…but I believ I can do it! I got a 1860 on my soph PSAT…and I took the Kaplan course over the summer and my highest Practice Score was a 1930. But I plan to study more! I want to get 2300+ Also, I plan to take 3 SAT IIs, and I’m taking 2 AP classes and 2 AP exams. I’m involves in ECs, especially temple-related stuff. If I get through this yr successful then I’ll have many doors of opportunity open. As a freshman and sophomore, I’ve taken Honors courses [1 AP] and ECs, and I’ve gotten straight As. My GPA is around 4.3…
Junior Year Here I come!</p>