What should juniors be doing once they finish with the ACT / SAT?

Written by Megan Dorsey on January 16, 2025. Posted in College Admission, Finding the Right College.

Last week I wrote about why juniors need to take the ACT/SAT and the factors families should consider when scheduling testing and preparation (read HERE if you missed it). This week I want to focus on what juniors should do AFTER they have their SAT/ACT plans in place. I was prompted by this email from a client:

My son just took the SAT. (I’ll keep you posted on his score.) I feel like we should be doing a lot of the groundwork now for the admissions process next fall. We are lining up college visits. What else should we be doing?

My first thought is YES! Your planning as a junior is what will make senior year and college applications easier for your family. Here’s what I suggest.

1. Make Preliminary Money Decisions

You don’t start shopping for a car, home, or other major purchase without setting a budget. Shopping for colleges should be the same.

I know all families manage issues of money differently, but it is important for the decision-makers in your house to set a preliminary budget and share the relevant details with your student. It could be as general as:

We want to support you in going to college, but we won’t be able to pay for it. We will help you fill out the financial paperwork and look for schools that will work financially. You can (or cannot) live at home while you go to school.

We can afford to pay X for college each year. If you want to attend a school that costs more than X then you will need to earn scholarships. We do (or do not) support you getting student loans.

We are fortunate enough to be able to pay for you to attend any school you choose. We would love to save money if you receive scholarships, but money does not need to be a deciding factor.

Starting with a clear set of financial parameters can save a lot of frustration later and will help build your college search.

2. Start Researching Schools

If you haven’t already, start learning about schools. There are thousands to choose from and there is not one right way to research.

If you want more ideas on what to look for and where to find quality information, here are some of my recent podcasts:

Podcast: What We Mean When We Suggest You Research Colleges

Podcast: How Can I Tell If a College Is Good?

Podcast: Warning Signs When Researching Colleges

3. Assess Current Situation (and address weaknesses)

As you start learning more about the admissions criteria at different schools, it can help to take an honest look at your student’s current situation.

I like to know:

Unweighted GPA
Class rank (if available)
SAT/ACT scores
IB/AB scores (if applicable)

On paper what type of student are we working with?

Don’t panic if you don’t have a 4.0 valedictorian. Even in the current competitive climate, most students are admitted to one of their top choice schools. (But not everyone will get into those highly selective universities.) The purpose of this step is twofold:

Identify your “stats” so you can better identify schools that will be a good fit.
Address weaknesses, to the extent you can

4. Make Summer Plans

Summer before senior year can get busy. Last year my son went on a trip with school, attended a week-long program with Scouts, went on our family vacation, and spent a week at an academic camp held by one of his top choice schools. He also completed his college essays and summer reading.

Here are some of the questions you want to consider when making summer plans:

Are there any colleges that I can “test out” by attending a camp or program? (Specifically, programs put on by the departments at that school, not just camps that have rented out space on a particular campus)

Can I explore a potential major this summer? Can I dig a little deeper into an area of interest to see if it really something I want to study in college?

If there is a gap or weakness in my academics or activities, can I do something that will lessen that weakness?

If you want to read about some great summer programs for college students check out this blog from 2019.

5. Visit Colleges

In an idea world, students will begin senior year with a thoughtful and well refined college list, the 5-12 schools to which they will apply. The closer you can get to completing this list, the easier your application process will be.

The best way to move from general research to building an actual college list is to visit campuses. It may not be possible to visit all of your top schools before you apply, but even visiting less-than-ideal nearby schools is helpful.

Here are some of the things that your student will get from a campus visit:

Direct discussion of what matters in admissions (straight from the admissions office!)
Better understanding of campus layout (even small colleges are not a single building like most high schools.)
An idea of the range of activities and extracurriculars available
A feel for the difference between a small, mid-size, and large campus
Some discussion of the different programs

Of course, the more you can hear from schools you are seriously considering, the better. But if we couldn’t make a cross-country journey to visit a large university, we might tour a similar school near us to get a feel for a similar type of school. (Think of this as me trying on a pair of heels in the wrong color just to see if I think that style might work for me.)

Here are some additional tips for making the most of your campus visits:

Podcast: Rock Your College Visits with these Advanced Strategies

Conclusion

Making plans for the ACT/SAT is just one of the college planning tasks for juniors and their families. The more you can talk about your college budget, research schools, examine your current numbers, plan for summer, and start visiting college, the easier the process will be as a senior.