Juniors: Time to start planning for college!

Capstone is wrapping up the busiest year we’ve ever had! Looking ahead, we expect to run out of places for this year’s junior class earlier than we have in the past, and we take latecomers only on a space-available basis. We encourage interested families to schedule a consultation with us now before the crush of senior year. We have found that the more time we have to work together, the smoother the process will be.

The ideal time to start is actually fall of junior year because juniors have a lot to do over the next 12 months. Everything from their classes and extracurriculars to researching colleges, building their college list, and completing the different components of their college applications will take up a lot of time and energy.

Many families don’t realize that students commonly write between 15 and 30 essays, including the personal statement, UC personal insight questions, and the many college-specific essays. Also, January 1 deadlines are no longer the norm; many colleges want students to submit their applications early, typically by early November, and they often award the most merit scholarships to early applicants. We begin planning for the writing in late spring, so that the students can complete as many essays as possible during the summer. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start planning for the year ahead so students don’t find themselves on their heels, cramming as much work as they can into the last few weeks before application deadlines.

For those of you who are considering whether to look for college admission advising, or who aren’t sure if you’ll need it, now is the time to reach out for more information or to schedule a consultation. Getting started with us as a freshman or sophomore is a fantastic option because we offer personalized educational, extracurricular and summer planning. Younger students who work with us also have guaranteed places with us when their junior and senior years come around. We would be happy to talk with you about the advantages of starting with a younger student.

We can’t stress enough how important it is to start the application process early in the junior year. Students who start working on their applications early end up submitting better applications that are more reflective of who they are as people and better represent their academic and extracurricular capabilities. Capstone can help you plan, organize, manage, and complete the extensive upcoming application process.