Junior year is a great time to get everything set up for senior year. Here's what to focus on.

1. Grades come first, because this is the last full year that counts

Colleges see your transcript through junior year when you apply. Senior fall grades barely register by comparison. If your GPA needs to move, this is the window. That might mean dropping a class that's dragging your average, getting tutoring before a bad midterm instead of after, or being honest about which classes need more attention this semester.

2. Go deeper in your activities, don't add new ones

Six strong activities beat ten medium ones. By junior year, colleges aren't looking for a longer list, they're looking for what you did with the things you've already stuck with. A few examples of what going deeper can look like:

• Orchestra: work toward first chair, start mentoring younger students on sight reading, or run social media to bring more people to concerts

• Student government: move from general member to chairing a committee, or launch something new like an event or partnership with another club

• Model UN: move from delegate to leading a committee, help train newer members, or organize a school-wide conference

• Athletics: take on a captain or co-captain role, start coaching younger players in the off-season, or organize a community event tied to the sport

• A part-time job or volunteer role: take on more responsibility, train new people, or start a small project that didn't exist before

The activity doesn't need to change. What you're doing within it does.

3. Build relationships with teachers who can write you a strong letter, not just any teacher

Letters of recommendation usually come with a form alongside the written letter, where teachers are asked how you compare to other students they've taught. It's much easier for a teacher to write something specific if they actually have something to point to.

Being visible doesn't mean being the loudest person in the room. It means participating in class, asking good questions, and being someone a teacher would describe as a student they were excited to have, both because of what you got out of the class and what you brought to it.

It also matters which teacher. If you're planning to study engineering and you don't have a strong relationship with your math or science teacher, junior year is the time to build that, even if it means more effort than the English teacher you already get along with.

4. Finish testing this year

Lock this in during junior year. The summer after junior year is when you want to start working on essays, and that's a lot of work on its own. If testing is still hanging over you going into that summer, it's competing with the thing that actually needs your full attention.

Need help planning? Momentum has you covered. Book a free consult and we'll help you figure out what to focus on next.