College Planning for Juniors: A Timeline to Stay on Track
College may be a few years away for high school juniors, but it’s never too early to start planning.
For many college-bound students, junior year is the most academically challenging. Combined with extra-curricular and social obligations, it’s no wonder kids feel overwhelmed when they need to make key decisions about their post-secondary future.
Luckily, when districts invest in college and career readiness tools like Xello, students feel more prepared making life-changing choices. But however confident students may be, they still need support from educators, counselors, and the community to help guide them through the planning and application process.
This timeline, organized by season, outlines how you can help juniors navigate their college planning journey with confidence.
Summer (before junior year): Laying the foundation
Summer is an opportunity for students to get a head start on the college planning process. Before kids head off for the summer, there are a few ways you can encourage students to use their off-time productively (while still promoting rest and relaxation before senior year!).
Your help actually begins in the spring, when many districts have students choose their courses for the following year. Encourage students to visit their counselor to ensure their courses align with college aspirations. Counselors can review Xello’s course planner with students to build academic plans, track courses, and ensure students are meeting graduation requirements. Summer is also an ideal time for college visits, both in-person and virtual, to gain valuable insights into campus life.
Some other ways to show support to students and their families are:
- Get students to create a wish list: Creating an initial college list during junior year is a crucial step in the college preparation process. This list should be broad at first, including a mix of ‘safety,’ ‘target,’ and ‘reach’ colleges, while considering factors such as affordability and personal happiness.
- Encourage test preparation: While some colleges no longer require standardized test scores, many still consider them a factor in admissions. Guide students toward SAT/ACT practice resources, recommend online test prep tools, and suggest tutors or school-sponsored test prep programs if available.
- Promote campus exploration: Encourage students to visit different types of colleges—large, small, public, private, trade school—to help them start identifying preferences (if they haven’t already through Xello’s career profiles and clusters). Virtual tours are a great option as well. Additionally, emphasize the importance of researching colleges through various methods such as attending college fairs and evaluating institutions based on personal and financial considerations.
EDUCATOR TIP: If your school district offers Pre-SAT/ACT tests during sophomore year, students will already know if tutors or test prep are necessary to help them meet their goals. It’s still valuable to send home resources in a variety of ways – paper copies of offerings often get lost in backpacks!
Fall of junior year: Providing guidance and structure
As students transition into junior year, their focus should be on academic performance, standardized testing, and beginning the college search process in earnest. It is also crucial to discuss college affordability with family to navigate the financial aspects of college decisions, especially during uncertain economic times.
School counselors have the opportunity to offer Tier I, II, and III services to juniors to help them prepare for college. As well, helping students and parents understand the financial aid process, including the various types of financial aid available and necessary application forms like the FAFSA and CSS Profile, is essential to reduce stress and facilitate smoother applications in the future.
Tier I: Assemblies
Grade-level assemblies early in the year are a great way to convey important information to students. Assemblies also ensure everyone hears the same information at the same time.
Your content should include:
- Encouraging strong academics and engagement. Emphasize that junior year grades are heavily considered by colleges.
- Promoting planned college events. Remind them of your organized college information sessions and college fairs that help provide insight into the college experience.
- Advocating for campus visits. Students should continue visiting college campuses or scheduling virtual tours. Xello will offer a visits planning feature for the 2025-2026 school year that will serve as a bridge between educators, colleges, and students to provide valuable insights and direct access to resources to support their post-secondary goals.
- Understanding federal student aid. Highlight the importance of completing the FAFSA early, especially for high school juniors, and discuss scenarios where early application for federal student aid may be necessary.
Tier II: Class visits
Like in assemblies, class visits are a way to disseminate information to a group of students – but this time, in a smaller group. Class visits are ideally done during homeroom to ensure all students hear the information in a smaller setting. These visits also provide a more comfortable environment for students to ask questions. Additionally, connecting with a high school guidance counselor during these visits can help students discuss college interests, course selection, and ensure they meet admission requirements.
Tier III: One-on-one meetings
Ideally, school counselors should schedule one-on-one meetings with every student to review their transcripts, discuss their academic path, set goals for the college application process, and emphasize the importance of researching colleges early in their high school career.
Hopefully by the time these are scheduled, district administrators have uploaded students’ test scores to Xello’s Test Scores & GPA portal. Once the scores are uploaded, counselors can view them directly in Xello on the student’s profile or under Features in Test Scores & GPA to help guide conversations and goal setting.
Winter of junior year: Taking action
As winter arrives, it’s time for students to take concrete steps toward college admissions. Attending college fairs is crucial as it provides a valuable opportunity to gather information about various colleges and interact with admissions representatives. Educators can provide structure and resources to keep them on track.
EDUCATOR TIP: Some of those offered resources should provide financial aid awareness. While financial aid applications primarily occur in senior year, it’s beneficial to introduce juniors to scholarship opportunities. Share information on where to find scholarships (like in Xello!) and how to begin financial planning discussions with their families. Additionally, highlight the necessity of planning ahead to find information on upcoming college fairs in the area.
Guide students through standardized testing
Encourage students to register for and take the SAT/ACT if they haven’t already. For those who have taken it once, support their efforts to improve scores by providing study resources and test-taking strategies.
Encourage college research and list building
By winter, students should start narrowing their college choices. Provide resources on how to evaluate schools based on academic programs, campus culture, and financial aid options. It is also crucial to visit colleges during the winter of junior year, taking advantage of both in-person tours and virtual experiences to gain a true sense of campus life and make informed decisions.
Students can also use Xello’s Scattergrams to start making informed decisions about their future. Scattergrams give students a visually clear, data-drive understanding of their admission possibilities so they can:
- Feel confident in the application process by focusing on schools with higher chances of admission.
- Empower students to set and achieve goals by knowing what it takes to get into their dream schools.
- Discover colleges where “kids like them” are thriving.
If district administrators upload test scores into the Xello Test Scores & GPA feature, students can view their scores in their “About Me” section and they’ll be automatically uploaded to their Scattergram for more accurate results.
Spring of junior year: Preparing for applications
The final stretch of junior year is about refining college lists, taking final exams, and preparing for the college application process. It is crucial to finalize the college list at this stage, ensuring it includes a mix of safety, target, and reach schools.
Help students finalize lists and applications
By this point, students should have a solid list of 10-15 schools, including reach, match, and safety schools. Encourage them to research each school’s admissions requirements and deadlines. Collaborating with a school counselor can be crucial in finalizing these lists and ensuring all applications are complete. Students can use Xello to Explore Schools to save their favorites so they are easily accessible when creating new applications.
Advise students to request teacher recommendations before the school year ends. Help them brainstorm ideas for their college essays and provide guidance on personal statements.
Supporting summer planning and financial aid process
Encourage students to use summer before senior year wisely—whether through academic enrichment programs, internships, or volunteer opportunities that align with their interests.
They can also use this time to seek internships, part-time jobs, or summer programs that align with their interests. This experience can enhance their applications and provide valuable career insight.
Final thoughts
Educators play a key role in ensuring that students approach the college planning process with clarity and confidence. By providing structured guidance, sharing resources, and fostering open conversations, you can help juniors and their families navigate the journey effectively.
Click here to learn how Xello can help you deliver a powerful college planning experience for both your students and your district.
