The end of the year is near and though that brings a lot of excitement, it also brings a lot of responsibility, especially for juniors. Not only do the juniors have to worry about finishing the year off strong, but they have to start their college application process. This can be a very long and tiring thing to do, but it is the capstone  of high school. Everything you did in high school was for this and if you want to go to college, a good one, you must take this seriously.

The long process starts off with your Brag Sheet which is a template showing everything you have done in your high school years. This record is an important part because colleges want to know how active you were both in and outside of school. The Brag Sheets include everything from what sports you play to all of the community service you have done. This is a great way to show colleges your activity over the years.

The next step is picking your teachers to right your recommendations. This is also a very important part and you must choose your teachers wisely. The key to picking a good teacher is finding someone that you have a good relationship with and making sure that person is a good writer. The last thing you want is a someone who is not a good writer and does not like you writing your recommendation.

The next step might be the most important part of them all, and that is your college essay. This essay takes a lot of time and thought. You are competing against everyone who is trying to get into college in America so you want to write an essay that is both unique and well-written.

On top of having to do all of this, visiting colleges is another priority. You don’t have to visit colleges, but it is smart because it gives you a good feel of what you’re going to be dealing with for at least the next four years of your life. All colleges are different and you want to find the best one for you. Visiting them is one of the best ways to do this.

So if you see any  juniors, wish them luck. They have a long couple of months ahead of them!