Junior Year College Checklist

Verify senior schedule rigor

Obtain senior year schedule and verify rigor maintained

Critical semester finish

Strong finish to first semester - final junior year first semester grades are critical

Start senior-year course registration

Course registration for senior year begins

Select senior year courses

Select senior year courses and maintain or increase rigor

Complete remaining A-G

Ensure any remaining A-G requirements will be completed

Maintain rigorous course load

Maintain rigorous course load as colleges see second semester grades

Review final transcript

Review final transcript for accuracy

Strong semester finish

Focus on strong semester finish as these grades appear on applications

Rank your top 10 activities

The Common App shows activities in the order you list them, and readers weigh the first three most. Choose your ten and put them in fighting order.

Write your 150-character activity descriptions

Ten descriptions, 150 characters each: verb first, numbers where you have them, outcome over title. This is the tightest writing in the whole application.

Continue leadership activities

Continue leadership activities

Update activities documentation

Update activities documentation

Continue meaningful summer activity

Continue meaningful summer activity like research job project or program

Document summer accomplishments

Document summer accomplishments

Update activities with junior achievements

Update activities list with all junior year achievements

Execute passion projects

Execute passion projects with tangible outcomes

Build arts portfolio / audition prep (visual, music, dance, theater, film)

Arts applicants have a parallel admissions timeline. Portfolio reviews, pre-screens, and auditions begin October-December of senior year. Junior year is when portfolio work gets built.

Create your Common App account

August 1: Common Application opens - create account and begin filling out activities section and demographics

Create your Coalition App account

Coalition Application opens if using

Start your UC application

August 1: UC Application opens - create account and begin completing sections noting cannot submit until October 1

Request transcript sends

Request that school sends transcripts when applications open

Brainstorm five essay topics

List five moments that changed how you think, act or see the world. Do not judge them yet; five real options on paper is the whole task.

Review UC PIQ prompts

Review UC Personal Insight Question prompts covering leadership creativity talent educational opportunity challenge academic passion community contribution and uniqueness

Revise your essay into a full second draft

Turn the messy draft into a complete second draft with a beginning, middle and end. Structure now, sentence polish later.

Get essay feedback

Have 2-3 trusted readers review including teacher counselor family member

Complete PIQ first drafts

Complete first drafts of 4 PIQs

Begin early school supplements

Begin supplemental essays for early schools as prompts are released in August

Read your essay aloud and cut the fluff

Read the whole draft out loud, mark every place you stumble or cringe, and cut ten percent. Your ear catches what your eye forgives.

Write a messy first draft of your essay

Get a full, bad draft on paper from your five-bullet outline. 650 words max, no editing as you go: momentum now, revision in August.

Begin UC PIQs

Begin drafting UC Personal Insight Questions choosing 4 of 8 prompts with 350 words maximum each being direct and specific

Outline your essay in five bullets

Five bullets: the opening scene, the turn, what changed, and the last line. Twenty minutes of outline saves three drafts of wandering.

Plan essay writing schedule

Plan essay writing schedule for summer

Pick the one story only you can tell

From your brainstorm list, choose the single story no other applicant could write. One true story told well beats three impressive ones told thinly.

Research QuestBridge National College Match

QuestBridge matches high-achieving, low-income students with 52 partner colleges offering full 4-year scholarships. Junior spring is when to learn about and prepare for the September deadline.

Confirm Cal Grant GPA submission

Confirm GPA will be submitted to California Student Aid Commission for Cal Grant

Use net price calculators

Use net price calculators for top schools

Meet the March 2 Cal Grant deadline

March 2 2026: Cal Grant Priority Deadline - FAFSA or California Dream Act Application must be submitted and GPA verification must be submitted by school

Create your FSA IDs

October 1: FAFSA typically opens - create FSA IDs if not done

Learn which schools require the CSS Profile

October 1: CSS Profile opens - research which schools require it

Provide recommender materials

Provide all requested materials to recommenders

Meet counselor on timeline

Meet with counselor to review application timeline

Set up a college-only email address

One clean address for every application, portal and college mailing list, created before your first account, so no decision ever lands in a spam folder.

NCAA Eligibility Center registration (athletes only)

Division I and II athletes MUST register with the NCAA Eligibility Center by the start of junior year. Core-course tracking and test-score registration happen here.

Submit RSI application

Submit RSI application typically due early January

Submit TASS and other apps

Submit applications for TASS Telluride mid-January Governor's Schools pre-college programs and research positions

Confirm summer plans

Confirm summer plans as this is the last summer before applications

Ask for recommendations

CRITICAL: Ask 2 teachers for letters of recommendation choosing teachers who know you well with ideally one STEM and one humanities from junior year

Prepare brag sheet

Prepare brag sheet with resume activity list college list intended majors specific class contribution examples and talking points

Note application requirements

Note application requirements for each school

Identify ED/EA schools

Identify schools with Early Decision/Early Action you might use

Identify recommender teachers

Identify teachers who will write strong recommendation letters

Develop recommender relationships

Develop strong relationships with 2-3 teachers who will be future recommenders

Visit colleges spring break

Visit colleges during spring break

Research BS/MD combined programs

40+ U.S. combined bachelor's-to-medical-school programs exist. Most have separate applications due November 1. If pre-med, research them now - you cannot apply late.

Cold-email professors

Begin cold-emailing professors for research opportunities

Finalize junior college list

Finalize junior year college list

Schedule spring visits

Schedule spring college visits during school breaks

Plan spring break visits

Plan spring break college visits

Refine college list

Refine college list based on visits and research

Understand CA community college transfer pathway (TAG, IGETC, ADT)

The CA community college to UC/CSU transfer path is a legitimate, cost-effective college route - not a fallback. Understand TAG agreements, IGETC, and Associate Degrees for Transfer.

Research UC campus programs

Research specific UC campus programs and cultures

Research competitive summer programs

Research most competitive summer programs with December-March deadlines like RSI Telluride and Governor's Schools

Attend college fairs

Attend college fairs

Meet admissions reps

Meet with college admissions representatives visiting your school

Research ED vs EA

Research Early Decision binding vs Early Action non-binding options

Create structured college list

Create structured college list with school counselor

Take April ACT

Take ACT if preferred April 4 2026

Begin intensive AP review

Begin intensive AP exam review

Finish testing before senior year

Ideally finish testing by August before senior year

Analyze PSAT results

Analyze PSAT results released late December/early January and adjust prep accordingly

Analyze National Merit status

Analyze PSAT scores and National Merit status with Commended around 208 and Semifinalist state-specific around 221 for California

Register for March SAT

Register for SAT March 14 2026 or ACT February 14 2026

Complete testing goal

Goal: Complete testing by end of junior year

Take March SAT

Take SAT March 14 2026 - most important SAT date for juniors

Take AP practice exams

Take AP practice exams to prepare for May

Take AP Exams

Take AP Exams in the first two weeks of May

Register for May AP exams

AP registration typically due mid-November for May exams

Register for spring SAT

Register for spring SAT March or ACT February/April

Take PSAT/NMSQT

Take PSAT/NMSQT mid-October - qualifies for National Merit Scholarship

Start intensive SAT/ACT prep

Intensive SAT/ACT prep begins now if not already done

Register for PSAT/NMSQT

Register for PSAT/NMSQT in October as THIS ONE COUNTS for National Merit Scholarship

Plan testing calendar

Plan testing calendar including PSAT in October SAT in March May or June ACT in February April June and AP Exams in May