How to Prepare for Senior Year of High School | CollegeXpress | CollegeXpress
Young woman smiles at camera in line of students wearing grad caps and gowns

Video: How to Prepare for Your Senior Year of High School

Get ready for senior year! Watch student vlogger Zenavieve share top tips on setting goals, keeping grades up, taking pictures, and preparing for college.

Senior year of high school is a lot of different things: it’s college applications, prom, essays, classes, extracurricular activities, and so much more. It can be hard to prepare for so much at one time. Student vlogger Zenavieve has some advice on how to prepare to have a great senior year.

Start a senior bucket list (1:05)

Make a list of everything you want to do academically and socially this year and use it to set goals for yourself ahead of time so those aspects of your life don’t get lost in the rush of senior year. Whether you want to make the honor roll or be more social by going to parties, write your goals down. Visually seeing them every day will make you feel more motivated to accomplish them and more prepared.

Related: Stop! You Need to Make a Bucket List Before Senior Year Starts

Keep your grades up (1:49)

Just because you get accepted to college doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your grades up! Finding your motivation can be hard, but if you don’t, your GPA could take a hit. You don’t want your college decisions to get rescinded because you have a case of senioritis. Keep up the pace and do your best right up until the end.

Take pictures (2:26)

Your senior year is going to be so memorable—but it’s also going to go by fast! Make sure to take as many pictures and videos as possible to preserve those memories for a long time. Document different aspects of the application process and when you get admission decisions. Many students like to post those online and spread the excitement of everyone getting into college.

Start the hard work now (3:07)

Determine where you want to end up at the end of academically and start the hard work now. If you want to be at the top of the class, that starts on day one! So make sure you’re putting in the effort now and not trying to rush your best academics during the last two weeks of school. Success is a long-term commitment, not a race. So determine what you’re committing to now and stick with it.

Related: Things You Need to Do Before You Leave High School

This is just a small fraction of the advice that could help you get through your last year of high school, but it’s going to be your own unique experience. You just have to be open to every opportunity that comes your way this year, and we promise senior year will be one of your best yet.

By senior year, you likely have a college list put together! But if you need to add a few more, you can use our College Search tool to explore.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

University of Mississippi

University, MS


Kelly Nogueiro

Kelly Nogueiro

Counselor

For me, CollegeXpress has given me a valuable tool to use with my students to explore colleges easily beyond objective data. It helps me find colleges for students that fit their needs and wants that aren’t quite so black and white. It's a wealth of knowledge, and the Type-A side of me loves all the lists and the fact that I know they're coming from folks who know what they're talking about. I share it with colleagues and students alike, and it's always well received.

Katelyn

Katelyn

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress gave me options of schools with my major and from there I was able to pick what was most important to me in a school. Everything was so organized that I could see all the information I needed.

Alexandra Adriano

Alexandra Adriano

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2016

I've used CollegeXpress quite a bit as a senior, particularly for colleges and scholarships, so it's been a very big asset in that respect! I would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a college education, especially seniors! This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in ways I couldn't have before, and I know that there are opportunities like that for everyone on the website and in the magazines!

Mimi

Mimi

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has provided me with tips that were for college students, but as a high school junior, they were still very useful. Not only that, it also gave me an idea of what to expect when it comes to going to college or already being in college. I want to say thank you to CollegeXpress, and I hope you continue the wonderful tips until I hopefully get into college and throughout my college journey.

Katie

Katie

High School Class of 2019

My favorite feature of CollegeXpress is the scholarship search. As someone going out of state for college, I needed all the financial help I could get, and CollegeXpress helped me easily find scholarships I could apply for to help fund my education.