It isn’t the end of the world if a student preparing to go to college performs poorly in their junior year of high school, some educators say. Though reasons may vary, they say, there’s still time to get back on track, and parents can help.
Here are some strategies to rebound from a bad junior year in high school.
Be Honest About Your Situation
The first thing a student must do is be honest about their situation, assess why they didn’t do well and get the tutoring and academic support they need, says Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Though the junior year positions a student for success after high school graduation, there are many things that still need to be done, he says.
Those things are particularly important if academic underperformance cost a student some credits.
“Ultimately, the student can make up credits in the summer,” Perry says. “But they should always start by being honest about why they did not have a good junior year and try to either remediate the reasons or compensate for the reasons.”
He adds that when applying to colleges, sometimes students should let schools know that they’ve had a bad year. For example, it may have been due to a medical issue or a family member getting ill.
“Transparency is good,” Perry says. “If you can explain why you performed poorly sometimes, that will enhance your application.”
[READ: 9 College Application Tasks for the Summer Before Senior Year]
Connect With People Familiar With Your Goals
Talking to teachers and counselors about your situation can help you get placed in the appropriate courses to avoid having a bad senior year, experts say.
By the third year in high school, most are aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Counselors are also knowledgeable about college admissions deadlines and requirements for early acceptance.
“Talk to someone who can give you tangible, actionable steps to move forward,” says Kenny D. Waters, a former educator and CEO and founder of The Distinguished Group, which coaches educational leaders. “Have a real conversation with a guidance counselor, or any type of mentor you may have. This person could be someone in the neighborhood. It could be another teacher that you admire, that you look up to.”
Waters also recommends that students talk with their counselors about taking or retaking the ACT and/or SAT in their senior year.
Use Summer Downtime Wisely
There are many opportunities in the summer for students to reclaim their momentum, so they should be strategic with their downtime, says Julio Nunez, principal of the Roosevelt campus of Norristown Area High School in Pennsylvania.
That should involve getting ready for the college application process.
“You know that you’re going to have to prepare an application, right? So you know you’re probably going to have to have an essay, reference letters, all of those things,” Nunez says. “Item by item, make a list of what’s required for an application and start working on that early on. The summer is ideal for all of those things for families and students to prepare.”
[READ: What to Do in High School to Prepare for College.]
If students are behind in credits, summer is the ideal time to bring those numbers and GPA up, Nunez says. He suggests families consider an online platform that doesn’t require going to a physical building for classes, but that still provides support from a teacher if there are challenges with coursework.
Nunez also recommends that students use the summer break to research grants, scholarships and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Perry says remote learning is a good way to avoid sitting in a classroom during the summer.
“There are often programs online during the summer with experiences in math, science and the like, where the students can take a summer camp, for instance, to get the writing or computational skills that they need,” he says.
Online education platforms like Apex Learning and Khan Academy may also help, Nunez says. Khan is free, but Apex recommends checking with the student’s school to find out what’s needed for graduation before paying to enroll in Apex courses.
Nunez also suggests considering Coursera’s free courses, which often are self-paced. “If you know you’re struggling with geometry, take 15 minutes, 30 minutes here and there.”
Consider Boosting Extracurricular Activities
Involvement in more nonacademic activities and programs may help compensate for subpar grades, experts say.
“It might be one of those deals where a student just becomes more involved in clubs and activities so that their academic resume looks better overall,” Perry says. “Students and family should know that it’s about a total package that they are presenting to a college. It sometimes makes sense for them to present a well-rounded application by having more extracurricular activities, so it looks like you had more on your plate, which explains the lower grades.”
[Read: How to Write a Resume for College Admissions, Scholarships, Internships.]
Nunez advises “going beyond the bell, meaning volunteer work and extracurricular activities. Think about getting a job because it will help you develop the discipline and understand what’s required in a workplace.”
Whether joining a sports team or volunteering in the community, extracurricular activities teach you a certain level of discipline, Waters says. They can also be a factor when you’re writing your college essay.
“It gives the admissions counselors more context of who you are as opposed to what you are and what they see on your resume or GPA,” Waters says.
Other Turnaround Tips
Waters says one of the biggest things he finds is that many students struggle to effectively manage their time, which can affect their academic performance.
He recommends reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, which he says taught him “how to create habits that were sustainable as opposed to knee-jerky,” and “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth for students looking to improve their outlook, habits and routines.
Waters also suggests using TikTok to search for influencers in the field of education and people who have successfully bounced back from a bad junior year in high school.
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4 Ways to Bounce Back From a Weak Junior Year of High School originally appeared on usnews.com
