As junior year heads into its final stretch, the college admissions season is just around the corner. For students hoping to reduce stress during their senior year and maximize their college admissions success, spring and early summer offer a crucial window to prepare strategically. At Oriel Admissions, we believe that smart planning now can make all the difference when application season ramps up and we work with our students to get a head start on their applications.
Here’s what every high school junior should be focusing on right now:
1. Finalize Your Testing Strategy
If you haven’t completed your SAT or ACT testing, now is the time to double down on preparation and put your effort into studying for a final test. At Oriel Admissions, we strongly recommend that students finish standardized testing as early in their junior year as possible — but at a minimum, before senior year begins. Why? Because the fall of senior year is already packed with coursework, activities, and application deadlines. The last test dates that we would recommend are in July (ACT) and August (SAT). For any student needing targeted SAT or ACT test preparation, we have highly experienced tutors available to help.
2. Brainstorm Personal Statement Topics
The 650 word Common App essay—the personal statement—is one of the most important pieces of your college application. A strong personal statement can elevate your entire application, especially at selective schools. In a sea of applications, college admissions officers are looking for those applications that will stand out.
Be aware that the creative writing required in a personal statement is a very different type of writing than students are used to. Most high school classes will train students in academic writing, making it challenging to prepare for their college personal statement!
At Oriel Admissions, our writing coaches are creative writing specialists who will work closely with students to provide direction on what will make for a compelling personal statement. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and the values that define themselves and they will go through a thorough brainstorming process to determine a great essay topic!
3. Draft Your Personal Statement Before the End of Junior Year
Once the brainstorming process has finished it is time to start drafting. The goal is to have a rough draft of your personal statement ready as early in the spring as possible. This will give you a huge head start heading into the summer! With more time to revise and reflect, your essay will have the polish and depth admissions officers are looking for. And by getting the personal statement out of the way early, you will have more time to focus on the supplemental essays required for most selective colleges and honors programs as well as for many scholarship opportunities.
4. Visit Colleges and Refine Your College List
The spring of your junior year is an ideal time to visit colleges—campuses are alive, students are around, and the weather is usually warm. As you visit schools, reflect on what matters most to you: academic programs, size, location, type of campus, athletics, clubs, Greek life, campus culture, and more. You should use these visits to refine your college list to include colleges that are target, realistic, and reach options but make sure that every college on your list is one that you would be genuinely happy to attend!.
5. Open a Common App (or other) Account
It is never too early to familiarize yourself with the platforms that you will be using to apply to college. Whether you will be applying through the Common App or Coalition App, or using a separate portal for MIT’s application or for the University of California college system, take some time to explore the interface. You can create an account, look at the types of questions that are being asked, and start thinking about your responses. The more comfortable you are with the application process now, the easier it will be later.
6. Create a Resume
Your resume is a great way to organize your activities, honors, and experiences. Even though you won’t be required to upload a traditional resume to all colleges, having a resume will help you to keep track of everything that you have done and it can be incredibly helpful for applying to internships or academic programs and when asking for recommendation letters. Use a traditional, professionally formatted resume and be specific about your contributions and leadership roles.
7. Start Drafting Your Activities List
The Activities section of the Common App allows for only 150 characters per entry, so crafting strong, clear, and concise descriptions takes practice. Start by creating a Google or Word document with your top 10 activities. Using the work that you put into your resume, you can write draft descriptions now, and refine them over the summer. The goal is to share what sets you apart through your activities so remember to highlight instances of impact, leadership, and initiative—not just participation!
How Can Oriel Admissions Help?
At Oriel Admissions, we partner closely with juniors each spring to elevate their college preparation and offer strategic, personalized guidance on every part of the application process. What sets our counselors apart is their genuine passion for working with students and the deep, lasting relationships that they form with families.
Our process begins with truly getting to know each student: their strengths, passions, values, and life experiences. This foundational work allows us to identify meaningful directions for their college journey and begin shaping a compelling narrative that reflects who they are and what they care about.
We then guide students through extracurricular and leadership development as well as authentic passion exploration. Whether it is by deepening existing commitments or launching new, impactful initiatives, we help students to connect their interests to a larger purpose. This approach creates a strong throughline between academics, extracurriculars, and personal identity—ultimately leading to applications that are cohesive, compelling, and uniquely their own.
Contact us to learn more!
