Junior year isn't just about earning good grades. It's the year students should begin making intentional decisions about academics, activities, testing, and college fit.

Here are 4 things juniors should be doing this year

 Protect and strengthen your academic record

Junior-year grades matter. Take appropriately challenging courses, stay on top of assignments, and ask for help early when you need it. Colleges will look closely at the rigor of your courses and how you perform in them.

 Start exploring colleges AND not just college names.
Begin thinking about what you actually want from a college experience. Consider possible majors, campus size, location, cost, student life, support services, and career opportunities. If possible, start visiting campuses.

Develop an ACT/SAT strategy.
Even in a test-optional environment, strong scores can still be valuable for admissions and merit scholarships at some colleges. Take a diagnostic test, determine whether the ACT or SAT is the better fit, and create a testing plan rather than waiting until senior year.

 Build depth outside the classroom
Colleges aren't looking for students who collect activities. They want to understand who you are and what matters to you. Look for opportunities to deepen your involvement, take on responsibility, pursue genuine interests, work, volunteer, or contribute to your community.

Junior year is about building the foundation so that when applications open next summer, students aren't starting from scratch.

Parents: this is also a good year to begin having realistic conversations about college costs and affordability before the college list is finalized.

Save this post and share it with a junior who is starting the college journey.