Harpeth Hall College Counseling Program
Harpeth Hall College Counseling Program Junior Year – College Planning Checklist Junior year is an important year academically as well as in the college process. Focus on making strong grades in challenging courses and begin the college search in depth with your primary College Counselor. In the fall:
Take the most challenging courses that are appropriate for you. Take at least one course in each of the five core subject areas – English, math, science, history, and foreign language. We strongly encourage you to take these five core subject areas each of your four years of high school. When appropriate, we encourage you to take Honors and AP courses, as many colleges evaluate the rigor of curriculum in addition to grades for admission purposes. Study hard and keep your grades up; junior year grades have a notable impact on college admission decisions. Go to teachers for extra help as soon as questions or problems arise. Colleges are interested in your semester grades as well as your grade trend, so improvement in a weaker area over time is noted and appreciated.
Take the PSAT in October. Scores from the junior year PSAT are submitted to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for scholarship consideration. Take the PSAT seriously and do your best. When you receive your scores, pay careful attention to areas where improvement is needed. Harpeth Hall offers several test preparation tools for your assistance, including Method Test Prep for the SAT and ACT through Naviance Family Connection, which is available free of charge for every student. We also encourage you to take the free practice ACT offered at Harpeth Hall in November. (You will take your first official SAT and ACT in the spring semester.)
Take on leadership roles in your extra-curricular activities at school and in the community. Keep a list of your involvements. This list will be helpful when formulating
your student activities resume, which you will do with assistance from the College Counselors and the Winterim office.
Keep a list of college essay ideas throughout the year. Whenever you experience something new, important, interesting, entertaining, or meaningful, jot down a quick note about it. This will be a useful tool when drafting college essays the summer after your junior year. The College Counselors will host an optional essay workshop in early June between your junior and senior years.
Meet with college admission officers who visit Harpeth Hall in the fall. Over 175 colleges send admission representatives to Harpeth Hall each year – take advantage of the opportunity to meet the admission officers who will likely read your application.
Attend the Harpeth Hall Mini-College Fairs at the end of September.
Attend the “Playing Sports in College” program, if that is of interest to you.
Parents are encouraged to join us for our monthly “Questions for the College Counselors,” a rotating morning coffee or brown-bag lunch held the first Thursday of every month. We also recommend all families attend the College Financial Aid Night hosted jointly by Harpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy each fall.
Attend the Harpeth Hall Junior College Night in November. At this program, you will receive the Junior College Planning Handbook, a comprehensive resource that will walk you through the entire college search and application process. You will also receive your primary College Counselor assignment. You will begin meeting with your primary College Counselor after Winterim.
Tour college campuses whenever possible. Tour local college campuses, as well as campuses around the country when traveling. Fall break is an excellent time to take a college trip. Always sign-up for the official campus tour through the Admission Office so the college has a record of your visit.
In the spring:
Attend our “Standardized Testing & the College Process” program, as well as the “Hear It From the Deans” College Panel, both in January.
Meet with your primary College Counselor after Winterim to discuss colleges that match your interests.
Register to take your first SAT and ACT in the spring semester. We encourage all students to take each test at least once, since students often find that one test suits them better than another. We then recommend repeating your preferred test again in the late spring of junior year and/or the early fall of senior year. Talk to your College Counselor about signing up for SAT Subject Tests if needed.
Attend the series of Harpeth Hall College Counseling Classes that are scheduled after Winterim. These classes focus on specific application topics such as essay writing, interviews, scholarships & financial aid, and completing the Common Application.
Begin thinking about which teachers you would like to ask for recommendations, and plan to ask any junior teachers for recommendations in the late spring.
Use your primary College Counselor’s suggestions to research colleges and tour campuses whenever possible. Spring Break is another excellent time to tour colleges. After Spring Break, meet again with your primary College Counselor and at least one parent to discuss your evolving college choices and the procedures for applying.
Attend the Nashville National College Fair in May.
Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Center if you are interested in playing Division I or Division II athletics in college.
Attend the college essay workshop in June and begin filling out college applications the summer after junior year.
Spend your summer completing an enriching and productive activity such as volunteering, holding an internship, attending sports or academic camps, or working a part-time job.
Take advantage of the College Counseling Work Sessions held throughout the summer for help with essay drafts and the Common Application.
Utilize Harpeth Hall’s Naviance Family Connection, an online college counseling tool. Access your Naviance Family Connection account to begin researching colleges, and to
access information on college fairs in Nashville, summer programs, and outside scholarships. For log in information, please ask a College Counselor.
Take the most challenging courses that are appropriate for you. Take at least one course in each of the five core subject areas – English, math, science, history, and foreign language. We strongly encourage you to take these five core subject areas each of your four years of high school. When appropriate, we encourage you to take Honors and AP courses, as many colleges evaluate the rigor of curriculum in addition to grades for admission purposes. Study hard and keep your grades up; junior year grades have a notable impact on college admission decisions. Go to teachers for extra help as soon as questions or problems arise. Colleges are interested in your semester grades as well as your grade trend, so improvement in a weaker area over time is noted and appreciated.
Take the PSAT in October. Scores from the junior year PSAT are submitted to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for scholarship consideration. Take the PSAT seriously and do your best. When you receive your scores, pay careful attention to areas where improvement is needed. Harpeth Hall offers several test preparation tools for your assistance, including Method Test Prep for the SAT and ACT through Naviance Family Connection, which is available free of charge for every student. We also encourage you to take the free practice ACT offered at Harpeth Hall in November. (You will take your first official SAT and ACT in the spring semester.)
Take on leadership roles in your extra-curricular activities at school and in the community. Keep a list of your involvements. This list will be helpful when formulating
your student activities resume, which you will do with assistance from the College Counselors and the Winterim office.
Keep a list of college essay ideas throughout the year. Whenever you experience something new, important, interesting, entertaining, or meaningful, jot down a quick note about it. This will be a useful tool when drafting college essays the summer after your junior year. The College Counselors will host an optional essay workshop in early June between your junior and senior years.
Meet with college admission officers who visit Harpeth Hall in the fall. Over 175 colleges send admission representatives to Harpeth Hall each year – take advantage of the opportunity to meet the admission officers who will likely read your application.
Attend the Harpeth Hall Mini-College Fairs at the end of September.
Attend the “Playing Sports in College” program, if that is of interest to you.
Parents are encouraged to join us for our monthly “Questions for the College Counselors,” a rotating morning coffee or brown-bag lunch held the first Thursday of every month. We also recommend all families attend the College Financial Aid Night hosted jointly by Harpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy each fall.
Attend the Harpeth Hall Junior College Night in November. At this program, you will receive the Junior College Planning Handbook, a comprehensive resource that will walk you through the entire college search and application process. You will also receive your primary College Counselor assignment. You will begin meeting with your primary College Counselor after Winterim.
Tour college campuses whenever possible. Tour local college campuses, as well as campuses around the country when traveling. Fall break is an excellent time to take a college trip. Always sign-up for the official campus tour through the Admission Office so the college has a record of your visit.
In the spring:
Attend our “Standardized Testing & the College Process” program, as well as the “Hear It From the Deans” College Panel, both in January.
Meet with your primary College Counselor after Winterim to discuss colleges that match your interests.
Register to take your first SAT and ACT in the spring semester. We encourage all students to take each test at least once, since students often find that one test suits them better than another. We then recommend repeating your preferred test again in the late spring of junior year and/or the early fall of senior year. Talk to your College Counselor about signing up for SAT Subject Tests if needed.
Attend the series of Harpeth Hall College Counseling Classes that are scheduled after Winterim. These classes focus on specific application topics such as essay writing, interviews, scholarships & financial aid, and completing the Common Application.
Begin thinking about which teachers you would like to ask for recommendations, and plan to ask any junior teachers for recommendations in the late spring.
Use your primary College Counselor’s suggestions to research colleges and tour campuses whenever possible. Spring Break is another excellent time to tour colleges. After Spring Break, meet again with your primary College Counselor and at least one parent to discuss your evolving college choices and the procedures for applying.
Attend the Nashville National College Fair in May.
Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Center if you are interested in playing Division I or Division II athletics in college.
Attend the college essay workshop in June and begin filling out college applications the summer after junior year.
Spend your summer completing an enriching and productive activity such as volunteering, holding an internship, attending sports or academic camps, or working a part-time job.
Take advantage of the College Counseling Work Sessions held throughout the summer for help with essay drafts and the Common Application.
Utilize Harpeth Hall’s Naviance Family Connection, an online college counseling tool. Access your Naviance Family Connection account to begin researching colleges, and to
access information on college fairs in Nashville, summer programs, and outside scholarships. For log in information, please ask a College Counselor.
