helping juniors plan ahead

Posted : October 30, 2012
Last Updated : September 12, 2022

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Junior year marks a turning point in a high school student's educational career. It's a time when college and career planning activities kick into high gear. If you're a parent of a high school junior, you may be wondering what you can do to help prepare your student for life after high school. Here are a few tips:

Talk and listen.

You have an influence on your student's decision-making process more than you realize. Keep the lines of communication open and find out your student's interests, goals, and aspirations. This can be a stressful thing for your kid so make sure you are listing and giving advice

Explore.

The junior year is the perfect time to investigate colleges and careers. Encourage your teen to attend college actives like college fairs which your teens school will usually provide and gain work experience through volunteer activities or jobs. Junior year is not too early to start visiting colleges. Taking a fun weekend with your teens and visiting a campus is a great way to spark interest for your teen. You can do fun things like attending a football game and going out to eat at a local college sport for them to get a glimpse of what the college life is like

Focus.

Juniors have time to gain ground if they've been slacking or to take more challenging courses to better meet college or workplace training requirements. Encourage your student to maintain good grades, as colleges will be paying close attention to the junior and senior years. Resources like tutors are a great way to help your teen stay on track. Just remember to support them cause these challenge classes can be stressful for the teen.

Connect.

A strong relationship with a school counselor can keep your student on track for college and career readiness. Persuade your teen to discuss career and educational plans with a school counselor.

Learn.

Attending financial and scholarship presentations while your student is a junior will help you to be more prepared and have fewer surprises than if you wait until your student is a senior. Take advantage of these presentations when they are offered at your student's high school.

Grow.

Colleges and employers seek people who are well rounded. Grades are important but having clubs and sports on your college application shows the colleges you are well rounded, while making it a fun part about high school. Help your teen gain knowledge and experience though college prep courses, extracurricular activities, community service opportunities, job shadows, or work training programs.

Prepare.

High school students should register to take the ACT or SAT sometime around the spring of their junior year. Taking rigorous high school courses is the best preparation, but your student may also benefit from free and low-cost prep tools.

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helping juniors plan ahead