College Prep - Is Your Junior Ready?
Often, the thought of college prep is often thought of as something that high school seniors need to consider and plan for, not something that juniors need to worry about at least at this point. However, the fact is, the sooner you start thinking about school the better off you will be in planning for your future. The good news is that there are many opportunities for younger students to get started planning for their futures than you may think.
What Juniors Can Do
When it comes to college prep,
get your junior in high school started by focusing on the needs of that child. Here are some things to take into consideration.
• Find out what the student wants to do when he or she graduates. In many cases, seniors struggle to choose a college to go to because they do not know what they want to do or be after school. At the junior level, you can start talking to your child about his or her future by asking about thoughts or desires moving forward. There are also tests and courses your teen can take to further investigate these needs and desires.
• Next, consider the PSAT, ACT and SAT. Each of these tests are college entrance exams and juniors are likely to be facing them. The good news is that you want your college student to participate in the process without any stress involved. You want to know when he or she is getting the best skills possible. College prep can also help you to make decisions about when to have the student take these tests.
• Consider budgetary information now. Who will pay for your child's secondary education? Will he or she need loans? If so, fill out the FAFSA now and begin to consider financial needs moving forward. This includes student loans, private loans or other methods of paying for school. By tackling the money question now, you can be better prepared for what lies ahead and can plan accordingly.
College prep professionals can offer you information and tools to help your student to get the type of education he or she needs and wants to have. These organizations can help your child to get into the school he wants to, and help your child to explore the options out there. Even as a junior in high school, your student needs to consider the benefits of getting this professional help especially if their options are limited.
For many people, the need to go to school is critical. Going to college is something most students need to do in order to enter into the positions they hope to have. However, it is always necessary to get into the right school and to work hard at qualifying for scholarships even as a junior in high school. By the time your teen is a senior in high school, he or she will already have made key decisions and impressions on those who need needs to in order to get into the college he or she wants.
