--- title: Your Junior Year Timeline description: Hello, junior! Get ready for a busy year. We're here to help you make the most of it so you're a stellar college applicant next year. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Junior%20Timeline.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? Take our chance-me calculator... if you dare. 🔥](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) Personal Statement Supplemental Essays Writing Advice Example Essays Other Application Writing Sections Personal Statement Foundations [How to Write a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Brainstorming a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Personal Statement Mistakes](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-end-a-college-essay) [How to Revise a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Finding a Topic](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-choose-a-college-essay-topic) [Tone & Theme](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-requirements#college-essay-conventions) Common Application [Common Application Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) [Common Application Requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [How to Write a Common App Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Common App Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) Personal Statement Examples ["Great" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Types of Supplemental Essays [Why Us](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Community Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Academic Interest Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Why This Major Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) [Extracurricular Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Supplemental Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Our College Essay Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Application Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [Writing Vulnerably](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Strengths-Based Writing](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Writing Techniques [Brainstorming a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Drafting a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-draft-a-common-app-essay) [Revising a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement ["Great" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Supplemental Essays [Why Us Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Extracurricular Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) [Academic Interest Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Community Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Why this Major Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) School-Specific Supplementals [Harvard Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) [Yale Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-supplemental-essays) [Stanford Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/stanford-supplemental-essays) [USC Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/usc-supplemental-essays) [Dartmouth Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/15ehsq5/aos_dont_want_you_to_know_this_one_weird_fact/) [Assessing Your GPA & Admissions Chances](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [Class Rank](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) Course Work [Course Rigor](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) SAT & ACT [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Standardized Test Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean#how-do-admissions-officers-evaluate-my-test-scores) [Test-Optional Admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean) AP & IB Tests [Do AP & IB Tests Matter in Admissions?](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) [When to Send Your Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) Types of Institutions [Liberal Arts College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common Application](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [Common Application Essay Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) Applying to International Schools [A Guide to Applying as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Our Strategy Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [How Admissions Offices Process Applications](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) College-Specific Application Guides [Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) [Stanford](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-stanford) [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-yale) [MIT](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-mit) [USC](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-usc) [See the full list](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) Tools & Resources [Demonstrated Interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) [How to Use the Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-data-set) Visiting Colleges [When to Visit Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges#ways-to-visit-college-campuses) Resources [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) [Colleges That Change Lives](https://ctcl.org/) School List Basics [How to Build the Perfect School List](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) [Safety Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-safety-school) [Target Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-target-school) [Reach Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-reach-school) Early Decision Strategy [Early Action vs Early Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated October 11, 2023 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) > Your Junior Year Timeline # Your Junior Year Timeline Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Admissions ###### Key Takeaway To put it bluntly: when it comes to applying to college, junior year is the most important year of high school. You'll be keeping your grades up, ramping up your college search, excelling in your extracurriculars, and more.  *This is part of our timeline series to help high school students and their families get the most out of high school while preparing for the college search and application process. This article addresses junior year of high school. You can find the corresponding articles for [first-year](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline), [sophomore](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline), and [senior](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) students at these links.* I’m going to say something that might stress you out. When it comes to applying to college, junior year is the most important year of high school. But you already knew that, right? Junior year grades are the most recent grades admission offices will see when you apply. Most college visits begin or ramp up in junior year. You’re probably studying for or taking the SAT or ACT and maybe some AP or IB tests. By the time you apply to college, your extracurricular engagements junior year and this coming summer will be the most relevant activities you’ll have. Okay, I’m not here to freak you out. Really. Take a breath. You don’t have to look at this as a negative, but you should be prepared to step up and take college admissions seriously during your junior year. ## Junior Year Here’s what our team of former admission officers sees in the most competitive high school juniors and how you might emulate that. We’ll follow that up with a timeline of what you might want to do and think about during the summer before junior year as well as junior fall and spring. 1. **Know what your goals are after graduating high school**. If college is in the cards, what are you looking for? A nearby state school or community college? A smaller liberal arts college? A major university in another state? A highly-selective school? The following advice applies differently depending on what your goals are, so get as clear as possible. 2. **Take a demanding curriculum that makes sense for you**. If ever there was a time to challenge yourself in the classroom, this is it. Per number one, you don’t need to take a full AP curriculum if you have never taken one before and plan to attend a school that admits students with a range of coursework and grades. At the same time, if you want to be competitive for an Ivy League school, you essentially must take the most demanding curriculum possible. 3. **Engage in meaningful extracurricular activities.** And look for opportunities to do something more interesting, uncommon, or niche. Understand how colleges and universities view and “score” [extracurricular engagement](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact). A balanced resume includes some engagement in your school community, in a more independent or creative project, and something that helps other people. 4. **Begin to understand the landscape of colleges and universities.** If you haven’t already, junior year is a great time to start visiting schools–maybe during summer, fall, or spring break. Start researching types of universities. Our website has some great articles that will help you get started. Understand the difference between public and private schools, research and liberal arts colleges, and the basics of financial aid. 5. **Develop an understanding of what you want to get out of college.** You do *not* have to decide on a major now. Most college students come in undeclared, change their major, and/or major in something they didn’t take high school classes in. But, you can look at major offerings at schools you’re interested in and research the courses and prerequisites for ones that sound interesting. 6. **Prep for and take the SAT or ACT.** While many schools have moved to test-optional policies and you may not submit scores everywhere, you should shoot for a score that reflects your best ability on standardized tests. There are tons of free online resources, books, or paid virtual or in-person programs. Find what works for you! By the way, we don’t recommend taking a standardized test more than three times at max. 7. **Engage in class and develop relationships with teachers.** There are a lot of reasons for this. First and foremost, strong teacher relationships facilitate better learning. Ask for help when you need it, and find ways to go above and beyond. And remember, junior teachers will likely write you [letters of recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) when you apply to college, so give them something to work with! 8. **Do well in your classes.** Oh yeah, lest we forget. Grades matter! This year more than ever. Enjoy yourself, but this is the time to think about finding a study buddy, getting tutoring, or asking for help after class. That list should give you a sense of what the best prepared and most competitive juniors are doing. I’ll quickly break down some of these points in this timeline. Note that there is no perfect one-size-fits-all guide for what every high school junior around the world should do. But this timeline should give you a sense of what we recommend for savvy college-bound juniors. ### Summer Before Junior Year - Deepen your engagement in extracurricular activities through formal academic, extracurricular, or community engagement. - Summer programs on college campuses. There are tons of summer programs for academically inclined high school students like [Summer @ Brown](https://precollege.brown.edu/programs/summerbrown), the [Harvard Pre-College Program](https://summer.harvard.edu/high-school-programs/pre-college-program/), or the [Stanford Summer Session](https://summer.stanford.edu/high-school). These programs range in experience and price, so do your research. The three listed are some of the most well known, but you can find that at a large number of schools–including some closer to home. Note that applications for these programs are typically due in February or March. - Research. Some high school students engage in research either with a professor on a college campus or with a program specifically geared toward high school students interested in learning about research. Remember, research doesn’t just happen in science labs–there are opportunities in all disciplines. - Part-time job. Getting a job is a great way to understand the working world, contribute to your family, make some money, and beef up your resume. If you have a part-time job, it should definitely be listed on your college application activities section. - Independent “passion project”. Maybe you’re in a band, run a small business, or created a non-profit tutoring organization. Perhaps you are into coding and develop video games. There are countless outlets students engage with that “count” in college admissions. - Consider visiting colleges. While you probably have some free time, summer isn’t the most ideal time for college tours since school isn’t in session so campuses aren’t the same. But, this summer would be a good time to informally (walk around on your own) or formally (information session and tour) visit a local school or one nearby some already planned summer travel. Check out our guide to the [college visit](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges) for more. ### Junior Year Fall - Begin creating a college list–and keep it updated! If you haven’t already, this is a great time to start a list of schools you might want to apply to. It’s early, so no need to be too picky, but start researching what it takes to get into the schools on your list. Which brings me to my next point… - Have family conversations about types of schools you’re interested in. Keep an open mind, but think about size, majors, location, distance from home, and cost. - Start researching schools. Online information sessions with admissions is a great place to start. I highly recommend signing up for at least one of these a week when possible. Why not? These 30-60 minute sessions will tell you a lot about the school, and you can join from the comfort of your own home, bed, couch, whatever. Also consider unofficial tours on YouTube, “day in the life” videos, or other social media content. ### Junior Year Spring - Consider visiting schools over spring break. I realize you might already have spring break plans, but know that spring break is peak college visit season. This is when colleges often offer open houses and have a lot of availability for tours and information sessions. If you’ve done some planning, it’s a great time to visit schools! - Think about demonstrated interest. If your school list is coming together, this is a prime time to consider how you are [demonstrating interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) at schools that track it. Visit, attend an online information session, do a webinar… check out the link for more. ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash.jpg) How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Senior%20Timeline.jpg) Your Senior Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/How%20to%20Write%20a%20Personal%20Statement.jpg) How to Write a Personal Statement for Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/12%20Common%20App%20Examples.jpg) 12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Bousquet, M.Ed", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/ben-bousquet-m-ed" }, "dateModified" : "2023-10-11T16:37:44.074Z", "datePublished" : "2023-04-19T19:01:48.000Z", "headline" : "Your Junior Year Timeline", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Junior%20Timeline.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```