Full Guide

I believe the most important thing to help you ease the process is to make yourself a brag sheet. During the next few months, you will still be farming awards and extracurriculars, so it is important to organize your contribution efforts.

I will link my personal one (not perfect, but it shows the overall idea). It is important to understand that a brag sheet is NOT a resume.

Here is my guide to making one!!

Make a resume! It is not required, but it helps provide a shortned documentation on your contributions. Most colleges have an update section where you can upload one. Resumes also help with interviews and providing more space on your college application to elaborate.

Here is my guide to making one!!

JUNIOR SUMMER

There are plenty of opportunites during this time to prepare for your applications. I'd recommend in the summer to look through college fly-in programs, summer programs, improve test scores, refine extracurriculars/awards, and make friends! I will break each of these sections apart.

College Fly-Ins 

These are great opportunities for you to go visit colleges free of charge and network. Personally, some of my closest friends to this day are from these programs! Another great opportunity is its chance for you to see how your college portfolio would fit in this mock college application. These schools will ask similar prompts to their actual application, and getting in can even possibly boost your acceptance rate. I'd recommend applying to some school fly-ins that you're not as interested in because it's a great opportunity to meet other students in similar situations!

We plan to add future essay workshops and networks for these fly-in programs! It's important to know how to utilize and frame your acceptances for the real application process.

Test Scores:

Although there are schools that let you apply test optional (scores aren't required), this is still a good opportunity to showcase your academic portfolio. There are two main tests you can take: SAT and ACT. Usually, these tests will be given to high school students around freshman year. Utilize your summer to hone in on practice problems to increase scores and decrease your workload for senior year.

This page explains the differences between the two and how test scores are utilized:

Extracurriculars:

Junior summer year is the perfect time to start projects if you haven't to help you stand out! Passion projects, projects related to your academic interests, are an excellent way to show your initiative in a said field. 

Passion projects:

Additionally, other activities can include jobs and/or volunteer service. These activities are good to have to show that you are active during your free time. This reflects qualities of integrity, initiative, and tenacity.