It's the first day of your junior year. You walk into your high school. The sounds in the hallways hit your ears, familiar but still just a little too loud. You have a minor heart attack when you forget where you’re supposed to be, but you remember you’re starting your day with Algebra II. (Ugh.) You make your way through the halls, and before you know it, summer vacation is just a distant, sunscreen-scented memory…and your college search is closer than ever before! Even if you’re not quite ready to start your college search (but, really, what have you got to lose?), it’s good to get prepared for the year to come—because things aren’t going to slow down between now and April, you know? Read these blog posts to get a sense of the junior year college search timeline, getting your college search started, tips for dealing with stress, and more. And if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us!
Surviving junior year of high school
- Getting Ready for Junior Year: Where to Begin?: Junior year is a lot like a treasure hunt: it will be a lot easier if you have some sort of map or guide to help you along the way. Lucky for you, we have one right here!
- How to Survive Junior Year: Junior year is often called the hardest year of high school. So you know what to expect and to make things a little easier, here are some tips on how to balance everything out.
- 12 Quick Ways to Reduce Junior and Senior Year Stress: Here are six things you can do right now to ease your stress, plus six habits you can (and should) develop to keep your stress levels in check for a long time to come.
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Junior Year of High School: Junior year of high school is a stressful year, but here are five things to remember that will make it a little easier.
- Video: Junior Year Advice: Check out this practical advice to high school juniors from a senior! Kat goes over six simple tips that contributed to her junior year success.
- Video: 5 Tips to Increase Your Junior Year Success: Junior year has a reputation for being tough, but our student vlogger Robert knows the best tips and tricks to help you succeed.
Really starting your college search
- Smart College Prep for All 4 Years of High School: Juniors, here's what you can and should be doing to make your college search easier!
- College Prep Steps Every Student Should Know About: The best way to maintain your course toward college and not end up freaking out right before applications are due is to create a schedule and break it down over your four high school years. Find out what to do during junior year!
- How to Prepare for Your College Search as a Junior: Junior year is tough, but preparing for your college search a year in advance will make it easier in the long run.
- The Basics of When and How to Begin Your College Search in High School: Do you feel lost when trying to begin your college search? You're not alone. Find out more about when and how to start your search process now.
- The Best College Search Websites, Books, and Apps: Searching for colleges requires a lot of research, and it can be difficult without the right tools. Here are the top resources to use for your college search!
- How to Build the Perfect College List: These tips will help you organize your research and make your final college list no matter where you are in the process.
- How to Get a Head Start on the College Application Process Junior Year: College applications can be stressful, especially if you leave all the work for senior year. Get a head start while you're a junior with these tips!
- The CollegeXpress Ultimate Guide to the College Search: This is it. This is how you find the perfect college—or colleges—for you.
Prepping for standardized tests
- Standardized Test Timeline for High School Students: What to Take and When?: You encounter a lot of exams throughout high school, and the college admission type usually start spring of junior year. Here's what you should know!
- How to Prepare for the ACT, SAT, and Other Tests: This standardized test guide covers the ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP Tests, and more. It's basically everything you need to know to get ready for your exams!
- College Admission Tests: Everything You Need to Know: Get ready to have your mind blown by acronyms. This is everything you need to know about standardized tests related to college admission.
- 4 Tips for Taking Your Standardized Tests Early: If you're planning to take the SAT or ACT early in your junior year, here are four tips to make sure you make it through in one (emotional) piece.
Attending college fairs
- How Can I Prepare for College Fairs?: College fairs are a great way to explore schools without going to campus. But how can you be sure to get the most out of them? Our experts have the answer!
- How to Navigate College Fairs From Start to Finish: College fairs are a great opportunity to get a feel for multiple schools at once and ask representatives your biggest questions. Here are our top tips for these events.
- 10 Things to Ask About at a College Fair: Be sure to learn as much as you can at your next college fair by asking schools about these 10 topics.
- 4 Mistakes to Avoid at Your Next College Fair: Many students don't realize the benefits of college fairs. Learn from these four mistakes to be more successful at these events.
Visiting your colleges of interest
- Why Are Campus Visits So Important?: Campus visits play a crucial role in finding the best-fit college for your needs. Check out what our experts have to say about why they're so important.
- 3 Main Types of College Visits You Should Know About: Check out this intro to the three most common types of visit typically offered by colleges: traditional tours, open houses, and overnight visits.
- An Important Checklist to Plan Your First Official College Visits: Planning campus visits can seem like a daunting task. But if you follow this simple checklist, you'll be in perfect shape for all your college tours.
- College Visits: How to Prepare to Take Tours and Explore Campus: Campus visits are vital when considering what colleges to apply to. Whether you go in person or explore online tours, these tips can help you get there.
- The Essential List of Campus Visit Questions: It's important to ask the right questions on your campus visits. So here's a big list of them!
- Beyond Pretty Brochures: How to Plan Informal Campus Visits: Official campus tours are great, but they only give you part of the story. Get a more realistic view of your colleges with informal campus visits
- 7 Ways to Make Campus Visits More Affordable: College is already expensive, and unfortunately, so are college visits before you even apply to a college. Don't worry! There are plenty of ways to save money.
- The Best Ways to Make Your College Campus Visits More Fun: Are all those campus visits tiring you out? Here are a few ways to make them a little more entertaining...including a rousing game of Campus Visit Bingo!
- How to Have a Great Virtual Campus Visit Experience: If you're overwhelmed by all the virtual college visit options, have no fear. Here's a comprehensive guide to having your best virtual tour experience.
That should be enough to help you lay a foundation to have a productive, stress-free junior year! For more resources on the college search, check out our College Admission section.
