Rice

Junior Year – Engage

  • All Year Long

    • Focus on your academics. Junior year grades are often the last ones colleges see
    • Plan to take an official campus tour of colleges you are interested in or attend virtual tours and information sessions. When possible, visit campuses when college students are on campus to get a true feeling for campus life. Spring Break is a good time to plan college tours
    • Continue to participate in activities outside of class; it is not too late to get involved
    • Deepen your involvement, take on leadership roles
    • Update your activities resume with activities you participated in over the summer  

    Fall

    • Revisit your four-year plan course plan and make adjustments where you feel they are needed 
    • Demonstrate interest in colleges by signing up on Maia Learning for an admission representative’s presentation (limit 2). Over 120 colleges visit the C&CC each year
    • Take the PSAT in October to be considered for National Merit Scholarship 
    • Attend a local College Fair
    • Sign up for AP tests and take them in May 
    • Determine your standardized testing plan. Consider taking the SAT/ACT in winter or spring: sign up on the appropriate testing platform. Establish your test prep schedule 
    • Stay on track with your ACT/SAT testing timeline and study schedule. Test prep resources are available on the website and in the C&CC. Take multiple full-length practice exams in advance of exams 
    • Explore college interests by sorting the college criteria on Corsava. Use those preferences to search for college matches
    • Build a list of preliminary schools you are interested in on Maia Learning; add schools of interest, you can condense the list next year 
    • Take an assessment at Mymajors
    • Athletes: Double-check that your classes meet NCAA Clearinghouse requirements. Complete online recruitment forms for each college you're considering. Make your sports resume and recruitment videos. Correspond with coaches periodically to show interest
    • Fine and Performing Arts Students: Sign up for Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs. Work on portfolio or audition materials throughout junior year

     

    Winter/Spring

    • Schedule optional 1:1 meetings with the C&CC beginning in January
    • Attend C&CC workshops and Academy Sessions
    • Take the SAT/ACT. Test prep resources are available in the C&CC and on the MHS Website
    • Spend time on Maia Learning and other search engines researching potential colleges and their admission requirements 
    • Continue to add schools to "Considering" section of the Universities tab on Maia Learning
    • Attend student and parent workshops offered in the C&CC geared towards juniors regarding college admissions
    • Visit and tour college campuses during breaks or take an online virtual tour 
    • Start to research college scholarships
    • Request letters of recommendation from two academic teachers after Spring Break
    • Investigate and secure summer experiences. See MHS website for a full list of ideas
    • Read the College Handbook from the C&CC - distributed in January
    • Athletes: Send your sports resume and video to college coaches and fill out athletic recruitment surveys on the college websites
    • Fine and Performing Arts Students: Explore how the audition and portfolio process for college admissions. Continue to build your portfolio and audition videos

    Summer

    • Attend the Summer Application Workshop 
    • Participate in summer experiences: research, internships, college coursework, work, travel, volunteer work
    • Finalize your college list. Make sure it reflects a balance of admissions possibilities (Likely, Target, Reach)
    • Research the type of applications required for each school on your list. Understand the requirements and deadlines 
    • Enter dates and deadlines into a college application spreadsheet to organize your information (see Senior Resources page)
    • Create a scholarship spreadsheet
    • Fill out your Counselor Brag sheet on Maia Learning
    • Continue to draft your Common App Personal Statement you began in your junior English class. or Personal Insight Questions (UC) and create summer drafts
    • Open a Common App account and complete the main sections of the Common App tab
    • Brainstorm your UC personal insight questions, if applying