CAREER FACTORS
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JuniorĀ (11thGrade) Checklist

Your child's junior year is crucial for college preparation. This year lays important groundwork for their future success. Stay engaged, organized, and proactive in supporting your child. Regularly check their credits and GPA to ensure they're meeting graduation requirements and staying eligible for scholarships.

September - December

  • Family Discussion: Have an open conversation with your child about their future, discussing reasons and objectives for attending college. Align your goals as a family and clarify expectations.
  • Financial Planning: Gain a clear understanding of college costs using resources like the College Budget Calculator.
  • Cost of College: Sign up at Tuition Fit to realistically compare college costs and budgets.
  • Counselor Meeting: Schedule an early meeting with your child's school counselor to confirm they're on the right academic and college preparation path.
  • PSAT/NMSQT: Ensure your child registers and actively prepares for the October PSAT NMSQT. This test can open doors to significant scholarship opportunities.
  • Maintain High Grades: Encourage and support your child academically. Colleges closely review junior-year grades, so maintaining high performance is essential.
  • Career Exploration: Use The Career Factors for Students to help your child deeply explore career options and college majors that match their interests, personality, and strengths.
  • College Research: Guide your child in creating a thoughtful list of factors important in selecting a college or university. Use tools like CampusTours to virtually explore potential schools and their environments.
  • Attend Events and Workshops: Help your child actively participate in college fairs, informational sessions, and workshops, including trade school and apprenticeship opportunities.
  • Extracurricular Involvement: Support your child's participation in extracurricular activities, community service projects, and leadership roles that build their skills and resume.
  • Resume Preparation: Assist your child in creating a comprehensive resume highlighting academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, leadership roles, and community service for future applications.
  • SAT/ACT Preparation: Encourage your child to start SAT or ACT test preparation early by using free practice tests from Khan Academy.
  • PSAT Review: Thoroughly discuss the December PSAT results with your child and counselor to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Military Academy Consideration: If your child is interested in a Military Academy, help them start the application process early and request recommendation letters.
  • Athlete Resources: If your child is a student-athlete, utilize recruiting resources available through NCSA Sports and review collegiate athletic statistics at Scholarship Stats.
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JanuaryĀ -Ā March

  • Class Scheduling: Meet with your child's counselor early to thoughtfully select senior-year courses, emphasizing challenging classes that match their college and career interests.
  • SAT/ACT Registration: Assist your child in registering for the SAT and/or ACT exams through College Board (SAT) and ACT websites.
  • College Visits: Help your child schedule visits to nearby colleges during breaks, and continue exploring campuses virtually to refine their list of potential colleges.
  • Deepen Career Exploration: Continue utilizing The Career Factors for Students and other resources to help your child gain clarity about career direction.
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April - June

  • Finish Strong: Encourage your child to maintain excellent grades. Colleges will closely review junior-year grades, and strong academic performance can significantly enhance college applications.
  • College Interviews: If colleges of interest require interviews, proactively help your child schedule them for summer.
  • Recommendation Letters: Advise your child to request recommendation letters early from teachers who know their strengths well.
  • Summer Planning: Assist your child in arranging internships, summer jobs, apprenticeships, or volunteer experiences that align with their career interests.
  • Counselor Check-In: Before school ends, meet with your child's counselor to finalize summer plans and senior-year goals.
  • Earn College Credit: If possible, encourage your child to enroll in summer courses at local community colleges or universities to earn college credits and gain early college experience.

Summer

  • Begin College Applications: Guide your child in exploring and understanding application requirements using the Common App.
  • Personal Statements and Essays: Help your child draft personal statements and essays with guidance from the College Essay Guy, ensuring compelling applications.
  • College Exploration: Accompany your child on college visits in person and utilize virtual tours (CampusTours) to clearly understand the college environment and fit.
  • SAT/ACT Retake Preparation: Support your child in preparing thoroughly if retaking the SAT/ACT exams, using resources from Khan Academy.
  • Scholarship Opportunities: Assist your child in researching scholarships through their counselor, local businesses, and online platforms like Scholarships.com and Going Merry.
  • Student Loans: If exploring student loans, review flexible loan options and resources from Sallie Mae to identify financial solutions best suited for your family's needs.
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