Chasing Merit Scholarships? Here’s a High School Junior Year Checklist to Start Following

high school junior year checklist

Chasing Merit Scholarships? Here’s a High School Junior Year Checklist to Start Following

Published December 4, 2019 | Last Updated November 4th, 2023 at 04:53 pm

high school junior year checklist

If you have a high school junior and you’re wondering what they should be doing regarding college admissions, this post is for you.

I have two college freshmen, one college sophomore and a college senior – all four of them in four different colleges right now. They all have at least full-tuition scholarships.

We chased merit because we had to. We knew we wouldn’t get need-based aid and we darned sure didn’t have enough money to pay full freight!

Start Focusing With a High School Junior Year Checklist

This is what I did with my own kids and this is the approximate timeline we followed:

Fall Junior Year of High School

SAT/ACT prep.

Your student needs to start studying for the ACT/SAT like it’s their part-time job. (I’m serious.) And they need to register for the upcoming exams.

Be sure they take the test at least by June 2024. Consider allowing College Board to share their information with prospective colleges. Many will send you fee waivers to apply!

Though a lot of colleges have gone test-optional, if your student can take a test, the score may help them win merit scholarships.

Early in your student’s junior year, it’s also a good idea to start researching scores and GPAs at colleges that your student may be interested in. Check out R2C Insights to easily gather this information.

Try R2C Insights!

 

Spring Junior Year of High School

Make sure you get an unofficial copy of your student’s transcript.

Guidance should be able to simply email it to you. Or it may be on Naviance if your school uses that.

Check it for errors and pay attention to your student’s approximate class rank, GPA, and which courses he/she might actually NEED to complete in their Senior year to meet possible requirements for specific colleges for a particular major.

Also in spring – students should be asking a few teachers and/or a school administrator if they would mind eventually recommending them for college admissions or even scholarship applications that might require it. This will lay the groundwork for good recommendations. Also, keep in mind that these people will need some lead time–at least a month before the earliest deadline–in which to write those letters.

Summer Before Senior Year of High School

By all means, please run the net price calculator for a handful of colleges you’re considering. Google “{college name} + “Net Price Calculator“ to find the NPC.

Look these things:

  • how much it will actually cost you, as parents, out-of-pocket;
  • how much it will cost the student in loans for each potential college and
  • whether a few colleges on your student’s college list have average accepted student stats a lot lower than your student’s GPA and SAT/ACT scores – especially if you’re going to need academic merit scholarships. (This is also described as finding colleges where your student is above the 75th percentile.)

In July, have your student start the Common App, start their essays, and enter the colleges they’re going to consider applying to in the Common App.

In August your student should consider start taking standardized tests again. Take them over and over. Pretty much every month throughout the fall.

Try switching from one (ACT) versus the other (SAT) or vice versa to see which scores come out better. Higher scores and super scoring can mean higher college scholarships and lower costs to you.

Also this summer, tour a few schools that seem closer-to-realistic in terms of affordability and getting accepted. Especially if they say that “demonstrated interest” is considered in their admissions criteria.

Fall Senior Year of High School

Apply Early Action to colleges whenever available, (usually deadlines are between October 15 – December 1 for EA or “priority applications”)

Here’s why: Being early often makes students eligible for higher scholarships than applying in the regular decision pool of applicants.

If binding Early Decision (ED) makes sense, consider applying ED for your top choice if it’s going to be affordable and almost impossible to get in otherwise. But still have all other applications completely ready-to-submit just in case you don’t get in your ED choice.

Complete the FAFSA if you’re applying for any financial aid. Enter the colleges you want to receive your FAFSA information.

Don’t panic about your EFC, (whether it’s high or low) because it’s VERY unlikely you’ll be paying that amount! If needed, complete CSS profile information. (Usually only required by colleges that meet full need, and tend to be very selective.)

Winter Senior Year of High School

Start celebrating acceptances.

Create a spreadsheet breaking down each financial aid offer in terms of: total cost, less the amount of scholarships & grants. Then break out the amount the colleges expect you as parents to pay each year, as well as the amount they expect the student to pay (usually the $5500 in Federal Student Loans.)

This is how you can tell what kind of deal you’re REALLY getting.

Spring Senior Year of High School

Have your accepted student contact top choice colleges asking for additional merit scholarships. Just ask. Because if the college needs more enrollment, often the answer is yes.

Make your decision by May and pay your enrollment deposit.

Paying it Forward

I hope this helps and pays it forward.

I know we could’ve really benefited from at least a general timeline of when to do what when we were floundering around with our firstborn!

_______

Use our R2C Insights Tool to help find merit aid and schools that fit the criteria most important to your student. You’ll not only save precious time, but your student will avoid the heartache of applying to schools they aren’t likely to get into or can’t afford to attend.  

Other Articles You Might Like:

How My Daughter Got $53,000 a Year in Merit and Financial Aid Plus More in Private Scholarships

Our Full Tuition Scholarship Journey

A Family’s Journey to Find an Affordable College

JOIN ONE OF OUR FACEBOOK GROUPS & CONNECT WITH OTHER PARENTS: 

PAYING FOR COLLEGE 101

HOW TO FIND MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

In this article:

Upcoming Events

Similar Articles for You

Parents Share The Ugly Truth of College Waitlists—And How To Handle It

Advice

Parents Share The Ugly Truth of College Waitlists—And How To Handle It

Ugh, the dreaded waitlist. If there’s one thing that drives students and parents crazy, it’s ending up on a college’s...

Colleges Offering Merit Aid to 95%+ of Students Without Need

College Financial Aid Costs and Stats

Colleges Offering Merit Aid to 95%+ of Students Without Need

If you’re a family that won’t qualify for need-based aid, it’s time to start looking for merit scholarships. What Are...

Six Key Strategies to Lower Your EFC/SAI

Fall

Six Key Strategies to Lower Your EFC/SAI

Colleges use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for financial aid grants and loans. The...

Tools & Services Recommended for You

There may come a time when you realize you can’t do it all alone. Use any of the many tools in our toolbox to assist you on the road to college.

Become a Member

At Road2College you’ll find everything you need to make the admissions and paying for college process less stressful and more transparent.

TOOLS

Explore R2C Insights™ — your source for finding affordable colleges and merit scholarships.

Coaching

Get coaching on admissions and college financing.

Community

Join Road2College where parents and experts work together to inform and inspire college-bound families.