Advice To Incoming Juniors
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Emily Hokanson
As I approach the end of my four years at Hamilton High School I’ve learned different lessons throughout each year. This is the first of a series of advice articles I will be writing for each year of high school. I decided to start with arguably the hardest year for high school students: junior year. In this article I’ll go through some of the advice I wish someone gave me before going into my junior year of high school.
1. Start Looking For Scholarships NOW
If there’s one piece of advice from this article you listen to, it should be this one! There’s a common misconception that only seniors in high school can apply for scholarships, but this isn’t true! There are a lot of scholarships that both seniors and juniors can apply for. Take advantage of this! You could be getting double the amount of money for college! A great resource for scholarships is the Scholarship Board Melody Williams updates every year! If it isn’t shared with you already you can email her willme@hamilton.k12.wi.us to request access. The majority of scholarships I applied to were from this list. Take advantage of it!
2. Start Making a Plan
Whether you’re thinking of going to college, trade school, the work force, or even taking a gap year, START PLANNING. You want to have some sense of what you’re going to do because whether you’re ready or not, you will be going into the real world very soon, so you want to be ready! I knew I wanted to go to college, so a big part of my plan was figuring out which college I wanted to go to, how much money I would need for my expenses, what I wanted to major in, etc. Do your research now, NOT LATER! It also helps to list things out to see all your options!
If you plan on going to college and want a guide to what you should be doing your junior year to prepare for college applications read my Charger Press article: College Application Guide: Junior Year Edition
3. Get Involved
If you haven’t already, NOW’S THE TIME! You don’t want to go into your senior year without some extracurriculars and leadership positions. Being involved plays a huge role in how colleges view your application and in the growth of your personal skills as well! If there aren’t any leadership positions available at Hamilton, you can always outsource to other volunteer programs or even start your own service project! During the end of my junior year, I created my own service project, Reaching Out For Bobby, for an AP Language project, but since then I’ve continued the project and I even ended up writing my college essay on it. DO NOT wait until senior year to get involved!
Check out the Volunteer Board I created to find some local opportunities: Volunteer Opportunities for HHS Students
If you’re looking for clubs to join, check out this Charger Press article by Kennedy Ellis: Hamilton High School Clubs
4. Make Connections
Connections! Connections! Connections! They help A LOT. Your junior year is a crucial time to make connections with teachers, employers, coaches, advisors, etc that can write you heartfelt recommendation letters for college and scholarships. And yes, most scholarships require one or more recommendation letters for applications. It’s also important to reach out to older siblings or friends who have gone through the college process. They can help prepare you and give suggestions when it comes to the entire process. Lastly, make connections in whatever field you’re thinking of going into. During my junior year, I began shadowing a local Veterinarian who was instrumental in my ability to apply for college and know what career is best for me.
5. DON’T Waste Your Summer
The summer going into your senior year is a vital time to tour colleges, do summer internships, volunteer, get recommendation letters, and begin the college application process! Taking advantage of the free time you have in the summer will set you up for a less stressful and very successful senior year!
6. DON’T Overload Your Senior Schedule
A big mistake a lot of students make is trying to do everything they possibly can at the last minute to beef up their resume. When choosing classes for senior year, it might not be the best idea to take four AP classes if you’re also involved in sports and other extracurriculars. It’s important to find a balance, because if you don’t it could end up hurting you more than helping you! Keeping your grades up in senior year is still very important! This also means don’t try to join 10 new clubs just so you can add them to your college application. If you don’t have a leadership position in them, colleges usually don’t look twice because they realize you’re not deeply involved in the club. Your time is well spent on clubs you’re deeply connected to!
Junior year is an incredibly difficult year, but if you plan and take advantage of opportunities you can make it a very successful year! Good luck!
