As the school year comes to a close, college and career counselor Mary Barnes and the College and Career Center will host a number of events for juniors to attend in preparation for college applications and their senior years. These events will happen throughout the spring and summer.

Currently, Barnes and the other school counselors are going to each junior English class and explaining how to prepare to apply to college. This is helpful for any students who are unaware of how or when to begin the application process.

“We’re giving them advice on what they should be doing right now, and what they should be doing over the summer,” Barnes said.

Juniors are also invited to the annual Highlander Internship Program (HIP) showcase, where seniors who participated in HIP will present their experiences at their two-week internships. The showcase will happen in Mclean’s cafeteria on Friday, May 30.

The College and Career Center’s will also host a college application workshop from July 30 to August 1, walking juniors through the process of filling out the Common App. Students will work with Barnes, other school counselors and college admissions representatives throughout the two days, getting opportunity to complete parts of their application. The goal of the workshop is for students to get enough work done on their college applications such that it won’t interfere too much with their senior year academics.

“It’s very much rolling up your sleeves and getting your college application done,” Barnes said. “We break down the Common App and how to approach it. By the end of the two days, they should hopefully have that Common App just about done.”

The workshop also is helpful for students writing their personal narratives and essays. As such a crucial part of college applications, students find this extremely helpful.

“For the essay, if students are ambitious and get a draft done, we will review that draft during the workshop,” Barnes said. “We also do some brainstorming activities for them to actually get their theme or topic going.”

It is crucial for rising juniors to know that these events are provided for them, and that they have those opportunities to get a head start on improving their college applications. Attending the College and Career Center’s events can make a profound difference for students.

“When they implemented this workshop a few years ago, the admissions reps saw a noticeable difference in the caliber of the applications that were being submitted,” Barnes said. “It definitely has value.”