Attleboro Juniors Get a Head Start on College Applications

The college application process may be winding down for seniors as most applications were due February 1, but it’s just beginning in earnest for juniors.

 One of the most important things for students to remember is to start early, according to Assistant Principal for Unified Student Services Elizabeth York and Attleboro High School guidance counselor Julie Little.

Students should not wait until the last minute to get their applications started and need to be especially diligent in requesting recommendations from their teachers  before the end of their junior year. That way,  teachers have the summer to work on them.

Additionally, students often make the mistake of overemphasizing one year over another and thinking that junior year is the only one colleges look at or that college won’t look at their freshman year.

“All years count,” Little said. “The GPA starts from the first day of freshman year.”

Little, however, also stresses that one bad class or a bad freshmen year is not cause to devastated.

“Colleges look for the good in applicants. They like to see progress,” she said. So while a poor start can hurt, working hard to improve grades over the four years can impress colleges. “It’s a four-year picture,” York added. 

Along those lines they stress that students should keep track of their extra curricular activities when they start as freshmen, since keeping a running tab on them can be easier than trying to remember everything you did as a freshmen three years later.

Additionally, activities outside of school count too. Things like volunteering at a hospital or working with a church should also be included in applications.

York tries to dispel the myth that all state schools are cheaper than private ones and said that many private schools end up giving much more in financial aid than the state schools.

Both York and Little cite college tours as key parts in the decision-making process for students and their families. 

“You may have a dream college, but until you visit you don’t know what its like,” she said.

Each student was equipped with a planner to help them keep track of the multitude of deadlines they need to keep throughout the application process during the school’s Junior Parent Night held last month.

A few words of advice from York and Little to add to that planner:

• Start early
• It’s a four year process, all years count
• Take challenging classes
• Ask for teacher recommendations very early
• Take campus tours
• Ask questions on those tours
• State schools may not always be cheaper
• Don’t forget about scholarship applications
• Don't be afraid to ask question on the campus tours.
• Remember guided tours may be misleading.  Guides may show students a wonderful dorm that is completely different from the freshman housing.
• Check online for open houses.