Junior Class Information
College planning activities to consider by the season...
Summer
Summer
- Get the facts about what college costs. You may be surprised by how affordable higher education can be. Start by reading Understanding College Costs.
- Explore financial aid options. These include grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study programs that can help pay for college costs. Find out more about how financial aid can make college affordable.
- Make sure your child meets with the school counselor. This meeting is especially important this year as your 11th-grader starts to engage in the college application process.
- Encourage your child to set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your child stay motivated and focused.
- Help your child stay organized. Work with your 11th-grader to make weekly or monthly to-do lists to keep on top of the tasks required to get ready for applying to colleges.
- Help your junior get ready for the PSAT/NMSQT in October. This is a preliminary test that helps students practice for the SAT and assess their academic skills. Juniors who score well on the test are also eligible for scholarship opportunities. Find out more about the PSAT/NMSQT.
Winter
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Spring
- Search together for colleges that meet your child’s needs. Once you have an idea of the qualities your child is looking for in a college, help him or her enter these criteria into a college search to create a list of colleges to consider applying to.
- Help your child research scholarships. This form of financial aid provides money for college that doesn’t need to be repaid.
- Continue checking the scholarship bulletin put out by student services and posted to the website.
- Attend college fairs and financial aid events. These events allow you to meet with college representatives and get answers to questions. Your child can ask the school counselor how to find events in your area.
- Learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Help your child look into summer learning programs or find a job or internship.
- Visit colleges together. Make plans to check out the campuses of colleges your child is interested in. Use a campus visit checklist to learn how to get the most out of these experiences.