The Summit: Senior Year
high school grad photo from edsource.org
You finally made it! You are now in the last year of your high school experience. Everyone else looks up to you as an example to follow, and on the flip side, you no longer have upperclassmen to go to for advice. Senioritis might settle in, but before you completely relax, there are still major things to complete before you can fully enjoy yourself (as you should!).
Finish compiling your college list, and get started on your essays
Remember that list you started last year? Well, it is now time to finalize that list, and get started on writing your essays. Preferably you would start on this the summer before senior year so that you have plenty of time to edit and have others take a lot. Again, please refer to our Applying to College roadmap for more details on the best way to approach writing essays.
Ask for those letters of recommendations
As you already started inquiring about this last year, it is now time to make sure you have those letters coming in. Make sure to remind your teachers (politely!) about the deadline for your earlier college application so that nothing will be rushed. I would suggest 3-4 months in advance!
Continue applying for scholarships!
As you now have letters of recommendation, it is a great time to also continue applying for scholarships. You can kill two birds with one stone by asking teachers to reuse your college letter of rec for a scholarship!
Visit schools when and if you can
Some people prefer to visit schools before they apply, and some after they receive acceptance. Either way, before you commit to one college, I highly recommend you to at least visit 2-3 colleges in person. When I was stuck between UC Irvine and UC San Diego, I not only kept my major in mind but also the environment. While I loved both campuses, I noticed how close UCSD’s campus was to the beach, and I loved how close downtown was as well. This, and the weather ultimately factored into my final decision to attend UCSD! Remember those small things like the weather and the surrounding neighborhoods can affect you greatly. Seasonal depression is a real thing especially if you are used to sunny weather at home and now have to deal with gray skies and snow during winter.
Have fun with your friends!
If you accomplished all of the above, now it is time to have fun. Spend time with your friends and family, and remember to prioritize your mental health. Senior year flies by so quickly, and you really want to cherish these memories as much as possible. This is also a great time to give back to lower-classmen. Provide them the advice that you once received from upperclassmen, volunteer for your local community (we have a great map here on how to be an engaged citizen), and try something new in the form of an internship. You will have a lot of time on your hands in the second semester. While many may entirely lose focus on school, still maintain your grades!
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In the end, I hope that you do choose a path that is right for you. You have worked so hard to get here, and I am sure that you will accomplish everything you set your mind to!
What will you explore next?
Explore other worlds
This map will take you through the reasons college is worth applying to, everything you’ll need to include in your application, and how to choose a school.