With the first two years of high school behind you, it’s time to embark on your junior year! This is arguably the most important year of your high school career as colleges will be paying attention to the grades you earn in your classes, the scores you achieve on the ACT and/or SAT, and the extracurricular activities you’re involved in. It may sound intimidating, but we’ve rounded up some of the best ways to set yourself up for success this year:
Prepare for and take the ACT/SAT
Your ACT/SAT scores are one of the most important factors when it comes to college applications, so you want to score well to ensure you have a better chance of getting accepted. You’ll register to take the exams during the spring semester of your junior year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start prepping now.
You can sign up to take the PSAT during the fall, which will give you a good indication of what areas you need to improve on. You can also enroll in a test prep course, which is designed to go over all the sections you’ll see on the tests. ASU Prep Digital offers this course and you can find it here.
Keep your grades up
It’s important to consistently have good grades each year, but the stakes get a little higher when you get to 11th grade. When you apply for colleges in the beginning of senior year, you’ll be sending your junior year transcript along with your application—and colleges can deny you entry if you don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement. If you’ve been earning good grades consistently, maintain that momentum through junior and senior year. If you haven’t been performing as well as you’d like to, it’s not too late! This is the year to make strides in your academic career.
Enroll in college courses
One way you can make your college applications stand out next year is by enrolling in college courses during your junior year. Universities like to see that you can handle a more rigorous course load, and earning college credit while still in high school helps you save time and money before you even begin your freshman year. At ASU Prep Digital, full-time Arizona high school students are eligible to enroll in two university courses per semester through ASU, for free. Check out our college course catalog here.
Start thinking about potential majors
You might not be applying to college for another year, but it’s never too early to start thinking about what you might want to study in college. Write down a few of your hobbies and look up majors that would allow you to further explore your interests. ASU Prep Digital students can explore different career pathways and enroll in college courses based on majors they’re interested in, such as engineering, business, or communication. Check out the different career pathways here.
Still looking for a school to enroll in? ASU Prep Digital is accepting applications until September 9 for students to begin a compressed semester starting on September 16. Schedule a call with an advisor and get started here.
