Junior Year

Tips for a successful junior year

• Research post-secondary options.  These include 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges, certificate programs, specialized training programs or the military.

• In Naviance, regularly check the list of college reps coming to DGS, and sign up for presentations you are interested in.
  Schedule appointments to meet with your counselor whenever you have questions about post-secondary planning.

• Schedule college visits throughout the junior year.
• Make sure that you are enrolled in courses that meet minimum college requirements.
• Review Naviance career assessments to learn about pathways of interest.
• Consider taking the PSAT in the fall to be entered in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) competition.
• Begin to familiarize yourself with the FAFSA process.
• Attend District 99 college planning presentations for parents and students.
• Begin to familiarize yourself with  scholarships on Naviance and scholarship databases such as Fastweb.
• Begin to identify colleges that suit your needs.  These include cost, size, location, majors, financial opportunities, and social/cultural activities.
• Take on leadership roles in the clubs and sports and/or volunteering in the community.
• Check on the nomination process for military academies if you are interested.  You must contact a local state-elected representative before applying to most military academies.
• Meet with military recruiters if you are interested in any branch of the military.  Check Naviance to find out when military recruiters will be visiting DGS.
• Practice for the SAT and ACT.  CollegeBoard and ACT student have free test-prep, such as Khan Academy for the SAT.
• Finalize your list of colleges and make sure to include "reach, reasonable, and safety net" schools in your list.
• Research summer enrichment programs and summer job opportunities available in Naviance.