Juniors be warned— senior year is not as easy as you may think. With college acceptances on the line, next year can easily stress you out. But with these tips, your senior year will run smoothly!

    1. Work hard. Your GPA gives colleges their first impression of you; they’ll often weed out those who have not reached the minimum grades they are looking for.  They’ll look mostly on your grades in your junior and senior years, so make the best of your upperclassman time!

    2. Join extracurriculars. Participating in clubs, sports, or any outside activities shows colleges that you’re a well-rounded candidate for their school. While having good grades is important, being a well-rounded student shows character traits such as determination, cooperation, and responsibility.

    3. Study for the SAT/ACT. Don’t just go in cold turkey. Take practice tests and do sample problems to prepare yourself for these exams. Try your best to get the best results! Colleges weigh these scores in admissions almost just as much as your GPA.

    4. Talk to your counselor. Got any questions about your schedule/grades or need advice? You can definitely talk to your counselor to find answers about your current school year or future school years.

    5. Stay true to yourself. You don’t need to force yourself to be anything you’re not in order to get into college. Stick with what you’re passionate about. When you’re enthusiastic and eager to partake in an activity, you’ll inevitably do much better than if you choose to pressure yourself into doing it.

    6. Keep calm. College, although important, does not ultimately define you as a person. You are capable of anything you put your mind to. As of now, you don’t need to know where you’re going or what you’re majoring in— oftentimes, college students change their minds in the middle of the school year. While it’s useful to have ideas on what your future plan will be, it’s highly likely that they will change.