Right now high school seniors are making sure they have sent in their applications, but what should the juniors be doing? First, they need to figure out what they would like to be doing after high school, and then find ways to aid their futures.

 There are many paths for life after high school, but a common one is going to a college, whether that be a public, private, or community college. One of the most important actions that those planning to go to college should be doing in their junior year is getting their grades up.

“Students start applying to college in August of their senior year, so the transcript you send to colleges to try and get accepted has your GPA from the end of your junior year,” said MVHS Counselor, Mrs. Crow.

That means the GPA that students have at the end of their junior year is the one that is given to colleges in order for them to decide on college acceptances. Colleges normally have a set GPA required for admittance into their school, so if juniors have specific colleges that they would like to go to, they should be sure to check what the GPA requirement is.

Another thing that juniors going to college should be doing is looking for majors and colleges that they are interested in. Once they do that, they should look into shadowing for jobs in the fields they are interested in and visiting colleges that they are interested in. This lets the student decide if that job or college is something they would want to do.

“I’m majoring in psychology. Through life experiences I realized that I’m incredibly interested in and passionate about the subject. By exploring different types of classes I realized that psychology lit a fire in me that others simply didn’t,” said Abigail Brown, 12.

Students can reflect on classes that they have enjoyed throughout the years and determine if it is something that they would enjoy furthering their education in that subject. Although, even during college, students are able to switch their major. They do not even have to enter college with a decided major and can choose to explore different classes until something feels right.

Lastly, something that juniors interested in going to college should do is determine which colleges they would like to apply to since applications open in August. There are so many colleges out there, so it is good to find options that work for their major and for their personal needs. Although there is a several-month-long window for the applications, it is good to not procrastinate too much so that there is plenty of time to make the applications as good as they can possibly be in order to have the greatest chance of acceptance.

Even though many students are taking the college route, it is not the only option available for future plans. What may be the right choice for one person, may not be the right choice for another. Juniors who are not planning to go to college should still be planning for their futures.

Students planning to seek an alternative path after high school could look into shadowing opportunities for their professions they are considering to see if they would enjoy work there. This opportunity lets them see what the day-to-day tasks of the profession they are interested in are. Another thing that they should factor in is the average salary of their selected profession(s).

“If [juniors] are interested in a trade like construction, welding, auto mechanics, advanced manufacturing, culinary, etc. they should check out the program offerings at Anderson Career Center and Walker Career Center,” said Mrs. Crow.

During their junior and senior years, students are able to go to these centers for half of the school day and have the chance to earn college credit and certification. Our high school also has similar programs which include: Aviation, HVAC, Health Science and Welding. Students interested in these professions can take the opportunity to gain experience and/or certification before leaving high school. That considered, students should research the requirements and certification needed for their future profession.

Although the preparations that juniors should be making differ for those planning to go to college and those planning on learning a trade or entering the workforce, there are some preparations that all juniors should be making. The first thing that everyone should be doing is researching their future profession and the requirements that they need to fulfill to get there.

All juniors should also be building their resumes by building up their life skills whether that be in school activities or an opportunity outside of school such as a part-time job. The better a student’s resume looks, the more opportunities they will have open to them, regardless of their future plans.

If students have any questions, are in search of opportunities, or would like to discuss their future with their counselor, the counseling website can aid in all of those. It is filled with an abundance of resources and has a feature for students to make appointments with their counselors. 

https://www.mvcsc.k12.in.us/1/Content/662

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