Importance of Junior Year in High School
Academic Schedules and Student Activities Dominate Decisions
Jun 20, 2009
For the college-bound high school student, the junior year may well be the most important. Junior year grades will be the first set of scores seen by admissions counselors once initial transcripts are sent at the start of the senior year. This holds true for extra-curricular activities, leadership, community service, and all of those other fillers that students engage in to “set themselves apart” from their peers.
Junior Year Course Schedules
Every year in high school is important. However, a slow starting freshman or sophomore can change the direction of their GPA in the junior year. Demonstrating improvement, often radically, over the first two high school years indicates growing maturity and the development of a serious attitude toward academics and school community involvement.
In most cases, the junior year will be the first time high school students can take Advanced Placement courses as well as upper-level classes and specialized electives like Marine Biology or Zoology. The inevitable dilemma occurs when students enroll in numerous upper-level courses without realizing the challenges.
Too many AP and/or Honors courses can be defeating. Students and parents need to weigh the balance: how good are B’s and C’s if taking three or more AP classes versus A’s and B’s if the AP and Honors level course load is lighter? Colleges like to see challenging courses, but what purpose is served if a student is in all AP and Honors courses but maintains average grades in all of them?
Finally, the stress level of the student must be figured into the equation. Students with a heavy academic load of advanced courses tend to experience melt-down after the first semester, particularly if they are also involved in athletics, clubs, community outreach programs, and a plethora of other commitments ranging from part time jobs to Scouting.
Developing a Workable Schedule for the Entire School Year
Some courses will demand more study time than others. The typical so-called “right brained” student interested in English and History may well ace Advanced Placement English Literature but run against the academic wall in Science and Math. In looking over the course schedule, parents and students must determine how much time will be required to achieve the grades that will make the student successful. This includes looking over class syllabi and required readings before enrolling.
Unlike senior year, when students exercising the rite of “senioritis,” go on senior class trips, attend Prom, and involve themselves in end-of-high school festivities, the junior year is unrelenting drudge. Realistic schedules should include part time job commitments, extra-curriculars, athletics, and every other time consuming activity like tutoring sessions and SAT prep courses.
There is no reason students should be up well past midnight, reading, studying for a test, or typing an essay or paper. Realistic schedules that account for recurring commitments as well as long-term projects can avoid burn-out schedules, but only if adhered to. Following preplanned schedules also demands parental involvement.
Working Toward College Acceptance
Few students are accepted into Harvard, Princeton, Yale, or Duke. Yet many parents of high school juniors bound for college react to the junior year as if such acceptances are attainable. The result is undue pressure on teens. Just because mom or dad graduated from Georgetown or Stanford doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the right choice for the next generation.
Junior year plans should focus on the ability to attend any reputable college. Can state universities, far less expensive than top tier private institutions, educate well enough to enable post-graduate transfer to more highly regarded grad schools? Is it possible to obtain a superb education at a non-Ivy League institution? The answer to all such questions is, of course, “yes.”
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