The prospect of applying to college can be daunting, and the stress can impact students of all grade levels in Upper Division. Luckily, Berkeley students are fortunate enough to have a team of college counselors fully equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to help them navigate the process.  Upper Division College Counselor Julie Carter is one of these experts, and she is happy to share with students a wealth of useful information acquired over a decade of work in the college admissions process.

     Freshman year is a bit early to be worrying about college, so Carter recommends that ninth graders focus on adjusting to high school both socially and academically.  Freshmen should also think about how they want to spend their precious time outside of the classroom – whether through athletics, clubs or service, they should try new activities and attempt to discover “what is meaningful to them and why,” Carter says.  

     Berkeley sophomores are urged to concentrate on doing well in their classes, as academic success in tenth grade will allow students to take more academically rigorous courses during their junior year.  Sophomore year also marks the beginning of standardized testing with the Preliminary SAT (PSAT), but Carter advises that sophomores not panic.  She says that the tenth grade PSAT requires no preparation, and is an excellent opportunity for students to identify their strengths and weaknesses.  Carter also encourages sophomores to partake in “exploration and self-reflection” to determine their priorities regarding the college process.  Sophomore year is an excellent time to begin visiting campuses; Berkeley’s spring break  trip is the perfect opportunity for students to visit a diverse selection of schools and to determine what aspects matter most to them.

     Carter suggests that students entering their junior year steadily build their strength of schedule by challenging themselves with difficult courses.  They should also attempt to “make meaningful contributions to their extracurricular activities and to take on leadership roles,” Carter adds. Juniors take both the PSAT and a practice ACT test, and they should work with their college counselors to formulate a test-prep strategy based on their scores.  Students are advised to “take their first SAT or ACT in the spring of their junior year” and to begin taking SAT Subject Tests in May. Eleventh graders should also work on cultivating relationships with their junior year teachers and counselors, as in the spring they will ask two of their instructors and their counselor for letters of recommendation.  Beginning in the winter, juniors will meet with their college counselors and parents to discuss the college process and narrow the list of the qualities they desire from universities. Additionally, Carter encourages juniors  to take advantage of the representatives who come to Berkeley and to attend the various college fairs in the Tampa Bay area.  

     As seniors prepare to press submit on their applications, Carter has a few final words of advice: “Read directions, follow deadlines and keep an open line of communication with your counselors and parents!” She urges seniors to stay organized and not to panic, and she is confident that “it will work itself out.” The most important component of the college process is finding the campus where students can thrive and flourish as individuals; as the college counselors love to say, “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.”Carter, along with Director of College Counseling Kemp Hoversten and Associate Director of College Counseling Allyson  Diljohn, is here to support all Berkeley students in their quest to make this match.