Right now I’m stacking up on EC’s because I don’t have a whole lot from Freshman and Sophomore year.
Here are my classes for this year so far:
Physics, Microbiology (it’s not AP, however its technically a senior course), Algebra II, Varsity Choir, AP/Dual US History, AP/Dual English and Debate I honors. I’m going to work on my class rank by a lot, my GPA is a 3.8-something (close to a 3.9) and I’m in the last slot for the top 25%.
My EC’s for this school year so far are going to be: Academic Decathlon, Debate, NHS and in choir I’m also an officer. (I’m also going to be working at a haunted house). I’m also going to try and get a spring or summer internship with a family friend at a law firm (I’m wanting to get into law school for my graduates degree.)
I’ve also done volunteer work for a crisis hotline’s website and this past summer I was a camp counselor for children with special needs. I also helped out at a film festival for a day.
What else do I need to be doing this school year to prepare for college apps next year? Thanks!
Testing. Figure out which standardized tests you are going to take and when. Leave time for two sittings. This is further complicated by the change in the SAT this year. Maybe also plan to try the ACT given that. Also leave time for SAT subject tests if needed by your schools. Again, planning for 2 sittings is good in case you are not happy with your scores. There is a lot to be said for doing as much of your testing as possible in jr year. It gives you a clearer idea of the scores you really have to work with, and takes some stress off in fall of sr year. You can’t really finalize your application list without your test scores, and it also positions you well for early application to rolling admissions, or EA or ED applications.
Visits. Figure out where to visit and when. Focus more on matches & safeties – it is harder to find ones you like, and you are much more likely to end up at one. Best to go when class is in session, but still good to visit even when it isn’t.
Essays. Read the common app essay topics and start mulling over possible topics. Let it stew for a while, you may hit on something if you know the questions and are just going about your daily life.
Thank you!
When it comes to studying for testing is it better to go to a prep class or to just buy a book and study out of that? I know of an actual SAT prep camp for juniors near my city that a few kids I know go to.
You can self prepare by familiarizing yourself with the test questions and format, doing a real old test under test time limits, then reviewing your practice test to see what targeted preparation (for topics you got the answers incorrect on) you need to do. Some of the test preparation books in the library should include some of the basic topics like time management, guessing strategy, etc…
My kids prepped with books, but I helped by going over the practice questions the missed to make sure they understood why they missed them. They made flash cards of the stuff they missed, and used those for review. But a prep class can be helpful, too.
Oh, believe me I get my GPA and testing are a lot more important. But, my class rank is still pretty competitive for the colleges I want to go to. I’m trying to get up my class rank and I’m most likely taking the next SAT in October. I’m just building up on EC’s because they not only help me decide what I career I want to get into, but they also don’t hurt college apps at all.
And, from what I’ve heard colleges are starting to look more towards the difficulty of your classes and EC’s than your actual GPA. I’m not too sure how true it is, but that’s at least the rumor that’s been going around.
Typical, tentative test schedule would work out somewhat like this: PSAT in Fall; first set of SAT I in winter or spring; ACT in winter or spring; SAT II (always good to at least take a stab at 2 or 3) in late spring (often June); second round of SATs and ACTs at earliest dates in Fall of senior year; possibly, an additional SAT II later on (ie. November or December). Focus on schoolwork and the extracurricular activities that you love and care about. Read! Seriously, Read! Nothing will help you in testing more than excellent reading comprehension skills. Look up words. Write thoughtfully, even when posting here on CC or sending an e-mail. Learn to craft sentences and express ideas economically, but impeccably. Punctuation, syntax, spelling, and grammar will matter. You won’t have an auto-correct function available when sitting for the tests, and you should be able to function without it. Do some test-prep, but don’t obsess over it. Sign up for the free daily questions when you register with College Board, and try a few sample tests. I think that excessive prep can lead to either over-confidence or crippling anxiety.
Have a life! There are thousands of good four-year colleges out there, most of which have very high acceptance rates. You can obtain an excellent education, and have a delightful experience, at almost all of them. Don’t build your college list based on “prestige.” Build it “from the bottom up,” beginning with at least one safety (often, although not always, an in-state public college) that you can almost certainly get into, your family can afford, and you would be willing to attend. Anyone can decide that he or she would love to go to Harvard or Stanford. Picking out safe and match schools, and accepting realistic limits for your reaches, can be tougher, but it’s not a cause for shame or self-pity. Just because you can’t afford a Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to afford a car that will fulfill all your needs and still be fun to drive. It is fine to use non-academic criteria to build your list, also. If you have a preference for weather, setting, sports, cultural activities, etc. that can help you select a range of colleges for consideration.
My son took an SAT prep class which he found very helpful. The students in his prep class scored an avg of 150 points higher than the majority of his class’s. I also recommend starting visits in your junior year. This is your most important year academically . Many schools base their merit scholarships on rank and GPA at the end of your junior year. Make sure that you identify the schools that you may be interested in on the SAT and ACT so that you have your scores sent for free. Good luck.
I disagree with that schedule… my kids both tried hard to get both SAT sittings and one subject test sitting, plus the ACT in junior year. Then they just had subject test retakes in the fall. Yes, it takes planning, but you won’t be sorry.
What kind of classes are the best? There’s one at a community center, but its an 8 hour course that lasts only one day. I’ve also seen some that are weekly.
And, how exactly does scheduling work for the SAT? How would I schedule to take the subject tests separately if I wanted to?
Ideally, get all your SAT1/ACT/SAT2 done by the end of junior year. Then you can find your matching schools before summer and prepare for campus visit and start working on the essays over the summer.
That’s what I was hearing from a few people. Would taking the SAT early on be beneficial this year, considering the changes they made? Or should I just wait until the spring so I can get a feel for the new test?
We paid for studypoint tutoring for the ACT. D scored very well but her opinion was that she could have done just as well by sitting down with the ACT book every week to complete a full test and review answers. I can’t imagine group test preperation is a good idea beyond test orientation but it’s much cheaper than one on one. I think the answer to your question depends on how disciplined a student is.There is a very good Podcast on standardized test preperation - “The College Checklist with Lauren Gaggioli” available for free on iTunes. In 2016/2017 there is a new PSAT and a new SAT test format coming out so you need to think through what tests you take when. Lauren’s advice on the podcast is to take the ACT first in September and then prepare for the PSAT which has also changed to be more in line with the ACT. In particular this year studing for the PSAT is a good idea because very few students will prepare and you might be a National Merit Semifinalist or Scholarship winner
One should really get the test prepared thoroughly and treat each attempt as the last attempt. If you do it right, you do not need to retake the test. If you aim for finishing all test (except AP) by the spring of junior, you still have one or two test dates as back up before EA/ED deadline when it is really necessary.