Juniors
Start planning for the future! Where will you go?
Junior year, the PSAT is given to students on a predetermined day set by the National Board. This continues the testing preparation for the student preparing for the SAT. Students scoring in the top 99% of their state are eligible to receive a National Merit Scholarship. To receive a National Merit scholarship, the student must submit their high school records, letters of recommendation from teachers and write an essay. Scholarship amounts vary.
The ACT is given nationally on predetermined dates at sites across the nation. Results are sent to the student and to the school.
As our students get ready themselves to apply to college, the Academic Department provides guidance and direction for local, state, and national scholarships available.
STEP BY STEP | MOVING FORWARD
- ACT/SAT: We recommend that students take these tests in the spring of their junior year, as they will have more education in their core subjects to help them. Either test is accepted by colleges, but students need to find which test is best for them. Students should plan to take these tests because they will not know until this coming summer or fall if their college/university of choice will be test optional (don’t require a test score—some allow you to submit a test score to admit or deny a student if it is submitted), test blind (they do not care about your score and will not look at it—though, this can change if you are going into a specific program that will require it), test free (test scores are not used for admissions or scholarships), or test flexible (the school has more flexibility on your scores, so they may superscore your results).
- PSAT: Students will take these tests in October, administered at MCHS. In taking the PSAT, students can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. This is also a great practice test and indicator of where the students are in regard to math and English/Reading.
- College Search: It is imperative that juniors begin researching schools that have a potential major they could be interested. We recommend that you visit various colleges and request information. If you set up a college visit through the admissions office, and you end up attending this school, the school will have record of your visit, and this could apply to scholarships in attending this school. Also, attend college representative visits at MCHS.
- Student-Athletes: Email colleges now. Division I and II can give scholarships as well as NAIA schools. DIII cannot give money. DI and DII start recruiting and putting money aside for student-athletes junior year, so each day that you wait, someone else is taking that money. Send emails, and then follow up because coaches are busy—find a reason to follow up (schedule is finished, video footage, etc.)
Paragraph #1: Introduce yourself and give your sport, accolades (all-conference, etc.), positions played, teams played for, mention you are a good student if you have a strong GPA, etc.
Paragraph #2: Describe your interest in playing for that coach and ask about any scholarship opportunities for the 2023-2024 season/school year. Also, discuss how you will follow up with your schedule once it is finalized—this is a great reason to send another email in a few weeks.
