Juniors – What To Do in July

Rising juniors (class of 2013) are half-way through high school so they should now have a pretty good idea what type of student they are. Questions for juniors to ask themselves are: Am I doing the best I can in high school? Do my grades accurately reflect my ability? This next school year is the most important year for colleges to see a student’s capabilities and dedication. Admissions officers are looking for an upward trend in grades and difficulty. A stumble is ok if they can determine the student knows how to become organized and stay focused.

Many juniors don’t have any idea what they want to study in college, and that’s fine! However, for students showing some interest in discussing college, here’s a fun resource from the University of Texas which provides free booklets called “What can I do with a major in…”. (Click on the link and scroll down to the middle of the page to find the down-loadable booklets.)

For athletes, recruiting officially begins Sept. 1 of junior year. Here are some important factors for juniors to think about when trying to determine an “athletic fit” for a school.

• Fit with team and style of play

• Likelihood of being an impact player

• Size and enthusiasm of fan base

• Location of training facility

• Team’s past record

• Chances of getting to postseason

• Conference

• Overall time commitment to sport

• Coaching staff

• Fit with team members

Of course, the athletic fit is just one important piece of the puzzle. Student-athletes have to consider academic, social, financial, and geographic fit, as well.