College Planning Tips for Juniors

                Northwestern. University of Illinois. Illinois Wesleyan. JJC. With 125 colleges in Illinois and 3,982 colleges in the United States, juniors may find it overwhelming to consider applying for colleges. This, however, is where the Providence guidance department steps in.

Throughout late January and early February, juniors should expect to meet with Mr. Palmasani and Mr. Murphy for a college planning conference. They offered some tips to help juniors jumpstart their college searches:

1. Allow yourself time to explore. The advantage of starting your college search in your junior year is that you have about eight months to research schools before deciding where to apply. You can research through a school’s website, a campus visit – juniors get one college visit day – or through Naviance. This is your time to explore, so dream big!
2. Narrow down your options. Once you have a list of all the schools you might want to attend, consider what Mr. Palmasani calls your “fit” for each college. Academic fit is if the school has a strong program in the major you want to go into. Feel fit is the atmosphere or “vibe” of the college. Financial fit is if the school is affordable for your family. Together, these three categories create your “best fit” schools.
3. Build your resumé. There are many free resumé builder tools online. Your resumé should include your GPA and ACT/SAT scores, extracurriculars, leadership positions, volunteer work, and contact information. Not only can you give a resumé to a college representative, but building your resumé will also force you to assemble all the information you’ll need next year to apply to colleges – it’s a huge timesaver!
4. Naviance is your best friend. You’ve probably used Naviance quite a bit since freshman year, but you might have yet to find its valuable tools for college planning. The Supermatch College Search will help you find “best fit” schools, while profiles of individual colleges can help you contact your college representative or even take a virtual tour!
5. What if you aren’t planning on attending college? We understand that only some students plan on attending a four-year college. If you think that you’d prefer a career in the trades, Mr. Peltzer is organizing trips to local trade unions – currently, he’s planning to take a group to the electrical union and the pipefitter’s union on February 27 – for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This is another excellent opportunity to think about your future.

However, the most crucial tip for juniors to remember is to relax. You have a great future ahead of you no matter where you go to college. Enjoy your time at Providence, but be bold and think about where life will take you!