Helping Your High School Junior Prepare for Senior Year

We know the choices your teens make today can substantially impact their lives, and the responsibility to help them make the best choices can be daunting. By helping them understand their options and facilitating timely, positive actions, parents can help their high school junior students prepare for higher education and training in the they choose.

High School Students’ Influencers

The process of guiding your kids toward happy, productive lives and careers begins at an early age, but their junior year in high school is a pivotal year for career planning. While environment and family are major factors influencing their post-high school plans, many of their vocational interests stem from their academic strengths and personal interests. Maximizing exposure to various occupations and learning more about the time and effort required to complete education and training can strongly influence career path choices.

In-Demand Careers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies these top in-demand jobs through 2033:

  1. Wind turbine service technicians

  2. Solar photovoltaic installers

  3. Nurse practitioners

  4. Information security analysts

  5. Medical/health services managers

  6. Physician assistants

  7. Operations research analysts

  8. Occupational therapy assistants

  9. Actuaries

  10. Financial examiners

Because highly specialized knowledge and skills are needed in several of the top in-demand careers, traditional college and university programs may not be applicable for your high school junior. No matter what career direction a student wants to take, create a timeline that considers coursework and necessary application requirements. Your student should work closely with counselors and teachers who can share additional information that will help.

Sample High School Junior-Senior Year Timeline

Each student has a different level of emotional and scholastic maturity, so there are no set-in-stone rules for helping your child prepare for senior year. But here’s a suggested timeline:

GRADE 10

Fall-Spring

  • Meet with your counselor

  • Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

Summer

  • Attend college fairs

  • Schedule time with home-for-summer college students

GRADE 11

Fall

  • Begin building relationships with counselors/teachers that can help you

  • Begin reviewing high education facilities – colleges, universities, technical schools, trade schools

  • Discuss family finances and financial aid options

  • Meet with your counselor

  • Plan to participate in more extracurricular activities this year (Colleges want to know if you are involved or have leadership responsibilities.)

  • Take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

Winter

  • Note registration deadlines for SAT and American College Test (ACT)

  • Visit nearby colleges/universities/trade schools

  • 2026 confirmed SAT test dates are March 14, May 2, and June 6.

Spring

  • Begin requesting letters of recommendation from employers, mentors/coaches, teachers

  • Explore scholarship opportunities

  • Request applications from colleges/schools you are seriously considering

  • Summer

  • Take summer school classes that might help raise your GPA

  • Visit colleges/schools you are seriously considering

GRADE 12

Fall

  • Begin calendaring to track deadlines, etc.

  • Compile letters of recommendation from employers, mentors/coaches, teachers

  • Complete all applications and submit

  • Complete college essays/request a teacher proof

  • Consider Early Application submissions to colleges/schools

  • Decide on 5-10 college/school choices

  • Follow-up on scholarships

  • Meet with your counselor

  • Submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after Oct. 1

  • Take the SAT/ACT

Winter

  • Ask counselor to submit semester grades to colleges that requested them

  • Contact every college/school to which you applied, asking if they received your submission

  • File financial aid documents

  • If accepted for Early Application from one school, withdraw applications from others

Spring

  • Compare different financial aid offers

  • Follow-up on FAFSA, pursue grants

  • Make a final visit to your top-choice college campus

  • Once accepted and decision is made, complete enrollment process/decline other offers

  • Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams

Summer

  • Jump-start freshman year by taking summer classes

  • Sign up for freshman orientation

  • Submit final high school transcript to your college

  • Thank all high school counselors, teachers, coaches/mentors who helped you

One of the ways you can join in improving academic opportunities for Tomball students is through donations to the Tomball Education Foundation. Contact us to learn ways we better-prepare Tomball students for the future and how you can help.

FAQ

Two frequently asked questions include:

Texas averages a 90% graduation rate. Tomball schools have an almost 100% four-year graduation rate.

Tomball high school students average 1073 on the SAT. The Texas average is 978.

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