Your College Application Starts Long Before Junior Year

Heather McCarthy, M.Ed., M.A.T. | Founder, Holistic College Counseling

When families start thinking about college, junior year often feels like the time to get serious. But much of what will eventually shape a student's application has already happened by then.

The courses they have chosen. The interests they have explored. The relationships they have built. The activities they have tried. Even the way they have learned to study, manage their time, and ask for help.

I don't think students should spend freshman and sophomore year worrying about how everything they do will look to a college. These years should give them opportunities to explore and learn more about themselves.

Explore

Take an elective because it sounds interesting. Join a club. Try a summer program. Volunteer. Get a job. Shadow someone at work.

You don't have to love everything you try. Finding out that engineering isn't for you can be just as helpful as discovering that you love psychology. Both tell you something about yourself.

The same is true of activities. I am often asked what colleges want to see. I would rather ask, What do you actually enjoy doing?

Students don't need to start a nonprofit or collect leadership titles. A job, athletics, volunteering, music, family responsibilities, or years spent doing something you genuinely enjoy can all be meaningful.

Build a Strong Foundation

Course selection should be thoughtful. Students should challenge themselves, but taking every honors or AP class available isn't the goal.

I want students to consider their strengths, interests, and everything else they are balancing.

These are also the years to develop the skills that become increasingly important in high school and college. Learn how to study. Manage deadlines. Ask for help. Figure out what works when something isn't coming easily.

And get to know your teachers. Participate, ask questions, go for help, and let them know who you are. By junior year, I want a teacher to be able to say more than, “This student earned an A in my class.”

Pay Attention

Students don't need to know what they want to major in or have themselves figured out by junior year.

But they can start noticing.

What classes do you look forward to? What makes you curious? What have you gotten better at? Where do you feel comfortable? What challenges you? What matters to you?

Those answers eventually help us think about the kinds of colleges where a student might be happy and successful.

By senior year, we shouldn't be trying to create a story for the application. The classes, experiences, relationships, interests, and growth are already there.

Our job is to help students understand what those experiences say about them and find the colleges where they can continue to grow.