College Advice for High School Juniors

Maddie Phillips committing to play for Lipscomb University's volleyball team. (Photo: Meghan Pisters) 

Andi Minter, summer intern at The Buzz, is an incoming junior at Memorial High School. 

For high school students, summer means lazy days by the pool, long nights with friends and no homework, right? Well, not quite. As an incoming junior at Memorial High School, I know I’ll be spending a majority of my summer trying to get one step ahead of the college applications process. From essays, to the SAT/ACTs, to building a resume, there’s a lot of work that goes into constructing a good application, not to mention determining which colleges to apply to. So I’ve turned to a few Buzz residents that are currently in or entering college to see how they handled this hectic process. 

One of the main problems I’ve faced is how to narrow down the seemingly endless list of schools and decide which ones I want to apply to. There are so many factors to take into consideration: price, location, size and major to name a few. When asked what was important to her in her search for the right college, Karina Arnold, an incoming sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, said she was able to narrow it down according to the scholarships she received.

(From left) Macy Kelleher and Maddy Payne root for the University of Oklahoma at a football game. 

The number of schools you apply to is also a personal choice. Maddy Payne, also an incoming sophomore at University of Oklahoma, applied to 16 while others such as Lauren Mohn, graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, only applied to one.

Maddy said, “This is what you want, this is your experience and your future. People might try to tell you where to go but the decision is yours, make it your own.” Regardless of which school you choose to apply to, common advice among all college students has been to start on applications as early as possible. 

Many college advisors stress the importance of a strong resume, but what exactly does a good resume consist of?

“Find one thing and be the best at it rather than be mediocre at a lot of different things,” advises Karina. The rising sophomore dedicated much of her time as a student at Houston Christian High School to forming clubs and speaking at conferences to aid the fight against childhood obesity. “Colleges want you to bring that passion and drive to their school,” said Karina.

Macy Kelleher, another incoming sophomore at University of Oklahoma, said, “I think that the strongest thing to include on a resume would not be that one was involved in many organizations in high school, but that he or she participated in a few organizations all throughout high school, as I believe that it is a good reflection on a person if they are able to be committed to a few things for years at a time.”

Terra Campbell throws up the Baylor bear claw to show her school spirit. 

Conversely, Terra Campbell, an incoming sophomore at Baylor University, urges students to include as many activities and honors as possible on their resumes, “Honor roll, sports awards, performances you’ve been in, anything you can think of. The more you have on there the better.” 

While Terra found it beneficial to include a wide variety of accomplishments, Macy and Karina decided to focus on a couple of achievements. These students have shared what helped most in their unique situation, but it’s important to keep in mind that what works for one person may not be best for another. This is a personal experience and it’s up to you to decide what will help you get closer to your goal. 

SAT/ACT tests also play a large part in college admissions. The tests, while similar, are structured differently, which is why most students typically prefer one over the other. Maddy suggests taking both before choosing one. “I took both the SAT and ACT more than once but scored better on the ACT, so I decided to focus on that one,” She said.

While some students take the tests multiple times to get the best score possible, others only take it until they achieve the score required of their desired college. “My only goal when taking the SAT was to meet Baylor’s requirements because that was the school I knew I wanted to go to,” says Terra. 

College is a major stepping stone in life, so there can be a lot of pressure to do everything right. Maddie Phillips, an incoming freshman at Lipscomb University said, “One thing that you must remember during this process is that you are going to get into college and it will all be worth it. When it gets hard and you just want to go watch Netflix, remember that all the little things that you do now are going to get you prepared for the future and make college that much more fun and enjoyable.”

So there you have it. Yes, it’s hard, and there’s a lot of time and effort that goes into getting the best results possible, but your future is worth it. 

See more advice on college applications from recent Buzz articles:

• College Apps: A parent’s perspective - See tips from an "almost-veteran" mom on how to help your child survive the college-application process. 
• Applying to College: How to survive the process - Find out what admissions counselors are looking for in applications. 
• Affording College - Discover the ins and outs of financial aid and other helpful information when planning to send a child to college.