Junior families who have not already done so should
call the College Counseling Office
immediately to schedule a Junior Family Conference. The conference should be
scheduled during
the junior’s free period, and at least one parent should plan to attend
as well. Conferences will
continue to be scheduled during March and April.
2. Juniors should have taken the SAT on March 1 and should plan to take the
SAT again
on May 3. Registration deadline for May 3 is April 1. Be sure to use the Hammond
School code
(410533) when you register. Register for the question/answer service when available.
This is a
wonderful resource and review tool.
3. If you are completing an AP (other than AP European History) in May and
wish to take the SAT II in
that subject, you will need to register for the June 7 SAT II’s no later
than May 6 SAT II’s are one
hour long, and you can take up to three in one day. Check individual schools
to which you plan to
apply for SAT II requirements.
4. Make good use of your PSAT Score Report by evaluating your strengths and
weaknesses
and tailoring your SAT review to meet your individual needs. College Board
offers excellent SAT
prep opportunities online at www.collegeboard.com.
5. Juniors should be especially mindful of doing well in classes this semester.
Many colleges heavily
consider junior year coursework in the admissions process.
6. Your preliminary college list is due April 25. The R&R (research and
reflection) phase of the
college search process began during the in-state and out-of-state college trips
in November.
Make use of the My College Quick Start at www.collegeboard.com to explore personality
type,
career options, and potential college interests. As the process continues,
juniors should make a
habit of visiting the Hammond School College Counseling website:
1) Log on
www.hammondschool.org .
2) Follow the College Counseling link to the College Counseling homepage.
3) Then explore the From the Director’s Desk link—especially the
sections on College/Program Highlights and College/Career Search.
7. If you have not already done so, juniors should plan college visits during
the next six
months. Spring is a wonderful time on most campuses. Contact individual schools
for tour and
information session times. Ask to attend a class if at all possible. Don’t
discount the possibility of
summer visits. Most schools run summer sessions and welcome visitors year round.
8. Spend some time each week investigating colleges. Your Hammond College
Guidebook is an excellent resource for websites. You will receive/have received the guidebook
when you have your Junior Family Conference with Mrs. Bickley.
9. Juniors will be writing college essays as a part of the junior English
curriculum over the next several months. Your essay will be a graded assignment in your junior English
class. Take it seriously for that reason, but understand that your serious approach will lessen
your stress next fall when you are preparing applications. As final drafts are completed, you
will need to give Mrs. Bickley a copy.
10. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is sponsoring
a National College Fair in Charlotte at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart on Sunday, March
30 from 12:00 pm –
4:00 pm. Hammond junior families are encouraged to attend. The event is a great
venue for soliciting information from a number of colleges in a short amount of time.
11. Juniors in search of summer enrichment activities should review the Summer
Enrichment program list/links on the Hammond School College Counseling website and the Summer
Enrichment bulletin board in Manning Hall.
