Junior year is crucial for students who are planning to attend college
The junior year in high school is a pivotal time for students to really consider what they’re going to do in the future. Loyal’s juniors will be given many opportunities to work on this process.
Junior English Career/Education Project: As part of their junior English classes, all Loyal juniors will be spending time researching occupations, colleges, and universities as they proceed through their career portfolio projects.
Personal Finance: Resume writing, job shadowing, and a mock interview experience are key components of Personal Finance. Juniors connect with local professionals, businesses, or organizations to get a deeper understanding of what a career may look like in a specific profession. Additionally, juniors are given the opportunity to enhance their interview skills with community members through a mock interview. Guidance visits: Each junior will meet one-on-one with Mrs. Scherer to discuss his/her plans for the future. Parents are welcome to join in on these meetings by calling or emailing Mrs. Scherer at 715-255 8511 or rebeccascherer@loyal.k12.wi.us. ACT: On March 3, all juniors will take the ACT. The ACT is a timed test in the areas of English, Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Writing that is used for scholarships and for college admissions. Teachers at LHS will be providing ACT test prep during late January and February for all juniors.
College Visits: Juniors should also consider visiting post-secondary schools this year. College is EXPENSIVE! No one should graduate from high school and then enroll at a college campus that he/she has never visited. Would students spend $5,000 on a car without test driving the car? Students should definitely “test drive” their campus before entering college. All juniors and seniors at Loyal are encouraged to do college campus visits. Please contact Mrs. Scherer if you would like assistance on setting up a visit.
Looking ahead to the senior year: Everything juniors do this year should help them make better decisions in their senior year. A quick breakdown of what happens in the senior year includes: September/October: Apply to one or more colleges. Good research this year will save you money—it currently costs $50 to apply to each UW ($60 for Madison) and $30 to apply to each technical college. Students are also encouraged to make those college visits during the beginning of their senior year.
Oct. 1: Students and parents can fill out the online FAFSA. The FAFSA is the form that you must complete if you want any state or federal aid for college. If you would like more information now, visit the official FAFSA website at https://fafsa.ed.gov/. One of the tools on that page is the FAFSA4caster—this tool will give you a sneak peek at your potential financial aid.
Winter: Seniors should research, find, and fill out as many legitimate scholarship applications as they can. They will also be given the opportunity to fill out the Loyal Community Scholarship Application, which is utilized by many of our local scholarship providers.
Spring: Students will begin receiving award letters from the college(s) where they have applied and been accepted. These letters will outline how much, and what kind of, financial aid each college is offering. At this point, students also have to commit to a college.
The most important thing that a junior can do is to take this year SERIOUSLY! Good research now will make for informed and good decisions in the future.
