College Counseling Shares a Roadmap for Junior Families

Junior year marks the beginning of a more individualized phase of the college process—but students and families do not need to have everything figured out yet.

During College Evening for Junior Parents, Directors of College Counseling Whitney Matter and Tim See introduced the people, tools, and steps that will guide students through college exploration and applications. They also emphasized that College Counseling has an open-door policy: students and parents are welcome to ask questions at any point in the process.

Here is an overview of what junior families can expect.

How College Counseling Unfolds

College Counseling follows a gradual process designed to give students the right information at the right time.

Junior Year

November and December: Junior Seminars
Students begin meeting in small groups to learn about the college search, standardized testing, SCOIR, and other parts of the process.

February: Final Junior Seminar
Small-group sessions resume as students prepare for the individual phase of the process.

March: Individual Meetings
Each junior begins meeting one-on-one with their assigned college counselor. Although students have a primary counselor, Whitney and Tim work with and are available to all students.

After Spring Break: Junior Family Meetings
Students and parents may schedule a meeting with their college counselor to discuss goals and make sure everyone is on the same page before the summer. These meetings are optional but encouraged.

Students who want to get an earlier start are always welcome to visit the College Counseling office. Students who are less likely to initiate a meeting should not worry: beginning junior year, the counselors make sure every student meets with them individually.

Senior Year

August: College Application Bootcamp
At the beginning of senior year, students receive application reminders, confirm recommendations, discuss essays, and begin completing the Common Application.

September and October: Application Season
College Counseling focuses heavily on helping seniors complete applications and meet deadlines.

Standardized Testing: A Tool, Not the Whole Picture

Many colleges remain test-optional, meaning students are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. Some colleges—particularly highly selective institutions—have returned to requiring scores.

Because policies and admission practices vary, College Counseling will help each student decide whether submitting scores would strengthen their application. Testing is one tool in the admission process, but it is not the only one.

PSAT

All juniors will take the PSAT at school in October. Scores are not sent to colleges.

The PSAT provides a testing baseline and helps students identify areas they may want to strengthen. The junior-year PSAT is also the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

SAT and ACT

All juniors are required to take the SAT, which University will administer during the school day in March. University handles registration for this school-day test.

The ACT is not required, although many students choose to take it. University also offers a school-day ACT administration.

The counselors generally encourage students to try both formats and compare their results. A student can then focus future preparation on the test that best fits their strengths.

Many colleges “superscore,” meaning they combine a student’s highest section scores from multiple test dates. College Counseling will help students understand which scores to submit and where to send them.

Preparing for Testing

Khan Academy is a good starting point for free SAT preparation because it is connected directly to the College Board. Families interested in more structured support may contact College Counseling for a list of outside test-preparation providers.

Students who use academic accommodations, such as extended time, should begin discussing testing accommodations with the appropriate members of the University team early in the process.

SCOIR and the Common App

Students will primarily use two platforms during the college process: SCOIR and the Common App.

SCOIR

Every University junior already has a SCOIR account. Students use SCOIR to:

• Search for colleges based on majors, size, location, campus setting, activities, and other preferences
• Follow schools they may be interested in
• Register for college representative visits at University
• Organize a prospective college list
• View historical admission information
• Identify their assigned college counselor

Parents may also be added to their student’s SCOIR account by contacting College Counseling.

SCOIR includes tools that estimate a student’s likelihood of admission based on grades, test scores, and historical application results. These estimates can be helpful, but they are not guarantees. Admission decisions involve many factors that cannot be captured in a graph or percentage, so counselors provide important context when interpreting the data.

Common App

The Common App is the application platform used by most colleges to which University students apply. Students complete one primary application and can submit it to multiple participating institutions.

Some colleges require additional questions or essays, and not every institution participates in the Common App. Students considering a college that uses another application should let their counselor know.

SCOIR and the Common App are currently integrated, allowing colleges added in the Common App to sync with a student’s SCOIR list.

Building a Thoughtful, Balanced College List

During junior year, students will use SCOIR and other College Counseling resources to begin exploring approximately 10 schools. This is an exercise to help them identify what they value in a college—not a requirement to apply to all 10.

College fit can take many forms:

• Academic
• Social and cultural
• Geographic
• Financial
• Campus size or setting
• Available majors, activities, or programs

The goal is not to steer every student toward the same well-known schools. It is to help each student find colleges that make sense for their interests, goals, personality, and circumstances.

College Counseling often uses a “70% rule” when discussing a balanced list. If a student plans to apply to approximately 10 schools, about seven should fall within the likely or target categories. This helps ensure the student has appealing and realistic options in the spring.

Likely: The student’s academic profile is above the college’s typical admission criteria, and the institution has a relatively high admission rate.

Target: The student’s academic profile is consistent with the college’s typical admitted student, although admission is not guaranteed.

Reach: The student’s academic profile may fall below the college’s typical range, or the institution has a very low admission rate.

Understanding Application Options

The terminology surrounding college applications can be confusing, especially because several options sound similar.

Early Decision: A binding application plan. If admitted, the student agrees to attend. This option is generally appropriate only when a college is the student’s clear first choice and the family is confident it is financially feasible.

Early Action: A nonbinding option that allows students to apply and receive a decision earlier without committing to attend.

Restricted Early Action: A nonbinding early application with rules limiting where else the student may apply early. The restrictions vary by college.

Regular Decision: A later, nonbinding application option, often with deadlines in January or February.

University asks seniors to submit applications by Oct. 31 whenever possible. This internal deadline helps students meet early application and scholarship-priority deadlines, receive decisions sooner, and move through the remainder of senior year with fewer outstanding applications.

Who Handles Each Part of the Application?

Students are responsible for:

• Completing their applications
• Writing their college essay
• Answering college-specific questions
• Sending official test scores when they choose to apply with scores

College Counseling submits the school materials, including:

• Transcripts
• Counselor evaluations
• School reports
• Letters of recommendation

Colleges may initially show these school materials as missing immediately after a student submits an application. Families do not need to request them separately from University. College Counseling will send the required documents.

The College Essay

The primary Common App essay is limited to 650 words and is sent to each Common App college on a student’s list. Some institutions also require supplemental essays or short-answer questions.

The essay should reveal something meaningful about the student that may not be visible in grades, activities, or test scores. It does not need to describe a dramatic hardship. A strong essay might begin with a student’s unusual interest, favorite activity, intellectual curiosity, or something that makes them lose track of time.

For students taking AP Language, the “This I Believe” assignment at the end of junior year may provide a useful starting point. College Counseling will also help students identify ideas and develop their essays.

What Students Can Do Now

Junior families do not need to begin completing applications, but there are several useful ways students can start exploring.

Visit Colleges

Visiting campuses helps students learn what they like—and what they do not like. These do not need to be elaborate trips. A nearby campus tour or even a drive through campus while traveling can help a student begin thinking about size, setting, location, and atmosphere.

When possible, visit while college classes are in session so students can get a more accurate sense of campus life. College visits are considered excused absences at University when communicated appropriately, although students should remain mindful of tests, projects, and other academic responsibilities.

Meet College Representatives

Approximately 50 college representatives are expected to visit University during the fall. These small meetings allow students to learn about a school and speak directly with the admission representative who works with University applicants.

Students can view upcoming visits and register through SCOIR. If a student cannot attend because of class, they may stop by College Counseling to request information or share their contact information with the representative.

Update the Student Resume

Students should begin keeping a record of activities, athletics, arts participation, clubs, employment, service, awards, and honors. The information does not need to be in polished résumé form yet; the important thing is to create a record before details from freshman and sophomore years are forgotten.

A student résumé template is available on University’s website.

You Are Not in This Alone

The college process is a partnership among the student, family, and College Counseling. Students will gradually take greater ownership of their applications, but they will have guidance at each stage.

Whitney and Tim welcome questions from students and parents throughout the process. Students do not need to wait for a scheduled seminar or meeting to stop by the College Counseling office, ask a question, or begin a conversation.