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5 Things Parents of Juniors Can Be Doing Right Now

Deirdre Allen

It's just about half way through junior year. Soon enough the school year will be over, summer will come and then, college application season will be upon you.



What are some things you and your junior could be doing right now to kick off the college search and college application process?


  1. Pay attention to communications from your child's school. Often, second semester junior year, your child's high school will begin to share information on the college application process. Be alert for an invitation to a parent meeting regarding the process. Many, if not most, high schools use some kind of platform - Naviance is the one I'm most familiar with - to manage the school's portion of the college application process. Make sure your student knows the school's platform, is able to sign in, and is periodically checking for messages. Many schools provide the student with a packet, often containing a form (or forms) called a "brag sheet" that the student and sometimes the parent(s) will be asked to fill out and submit to the school counselor.

  2. Begin to discuss the process with your student. Set up a meeting with your student. Keep it short and sweeten the deal with pizza or a favorite Starbucks drink. Draw your student out as to what's on their mind. Are there any particular colleges they are thinking of? Any majors they have in mind? Begin making up a college list. There are books and online resources with lists of questions you can use for guidance and websites where you can input your student's stats and generate a list of target schools.

  3. Encourage your student to do the best they can for the rest of the year, to begin thinking of teachers they can ask for a recommendation, and to keep up with their extracurricular activities. Let them know that, if there is ever a semester to give their all, this is it!This is the last semester to bring up their gpa before submitting college applications. If they are struggling, consider getting some extra help. Meet with teachers and dig deep to find the source of the problem(s) in each class. Note: If they cannot think of a teacher to ask for a recommendation, now would be a good time to build some relationships! And note: If they are not in any extracurricular activities, there is still the rest of the school year and the summer to get involved in something - a club, a sport, a volunteer activity, or a part-time job.

  4. Set up a few college visits. See if you can plan a visit to one or two schools that interest your student. If that is not possible, simply pick a nearby college and try going on their college tour. After each visit, make a few notes on things liked and disliked about the school.

  5. And last but not least, show excitement about the process ahead!


College application season can be a stressful time. Yet, there are many ways to ease the challenges of the process. Take things step by step. Plan ahead. Keep a positive and encouraging attitude. And feel free to email me at deirdreallencoaching@gmail.com if you need more help and support!

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