Omniac Attack!

Welcome back everyone!

By now I'm sure all of our Freshman and Sophomores are well on their way to a fantastic start to their high school career.  But what about those students that have been there and done that?  They need just a little more in the way of advice than just, "study hard."  Lucky for all of you, in addition to the basics, we here at Omniac have more specialized things that our upper classman can be doing to improve their college applications!

Junior Year!
This is when most people start to really think about college, but you should have already done some of that stuff already, so you'll be a few steps ahead of your classmates.  As always though, there's still plenty you can do.

 

Thought I wasn't going to tell you this?  Well, Im sorry, but there's never a time when you can afford to give up on your grades.  The first thing you should do as a junior is take a good, long look at your GPA.  If you've kept your nose to the grindstone the past 2 years, it'll be just more of the same for you.  If not, then this is the time to try to pull that up.  Remember!  Most applications will have deadlines in the winter of your senior year, so you only have 2-3 more semesters to improve your grades.

This test is open to all juniors and there's really just no excuse not to take it.  I know it's a long, boring standardized test, but if you do well enough, your college prospects will greately improve.  Let me repeat that for emphasis.  If you do well enough on this single test (the PSAT), colleges will literally fight each with big handfuls of money to get you to go to their school.  And if you don't do very well...then you've only lost about 3 hours.  Like I said, there's really no reason not to at least try it out.

On the subject of tests, when spring rolls around, you should be trying out your first ACT or SAT.  These tests are only held 6 times every year; so the earlier you take it, the more time you'll have to fix any problems you find.  And if you get the score of your dreams now, then that's one less thing to worry about next year.  

Here it is!  This is what the past three years have been all about.  More than any other year in high school, your senior year is all about what you've made of it.  If you've had your eye on the prize this whole time, you'll largely be able to sit back and enjoy yourself this year.  But if you've slacked off as an underclassman, there'll be no enjoyment to be had as you work your butt off trying to play catch up.

The first and most important thing you can do during your senior year is AVOID SENIORITIS!!!  One F or major discipline problem can destroy all the hard work you've put in over the past 3 years.  The party that everone is going to or the class that's so easy to skip...is just not worth endangering your future.  This is the last year of high school and the end is so close, just a little more work and you'll finally be done!

You've done all the work already.  You've kept a good GPA throughout high school.  You've experienced different clubs and activities and lived life outside of the classroom.  You've taken your tests.  You've picked your colleges.  Now all that's left is to put all that hard work together and wow colleges with your tremendous application.

 

That's all there is to it.  If you can stay on top of everything, you can almost just coast this last year.  You may have to take a test again, but at least you know what you need to do to prepare for test day.  You will have lots and lots of applications to fill out, but since you've spent the past 3 years building towards this, it should be relatively easy.  This is the reward for all the previous years of hardwork you've put yourself though, so enjoy it!