Discus Awards

Ronne Turner is the Associate Vice President of Enrollment & Dean of Admissions and Marketing at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.  She also authors the blog Northeastern Admissions: An Inside Look. 

Congratulations on making it through the first half of the junior year! Hopefully you had a successful semester with your activities, athletics and in your classes. As you probably know, your performance in your junior year courses is critically important in the college admission process. College admissions committees focus on these grades as it is the last full year we are going to see when making a decision on your application. Even though the committee will see your first term or even your mid-year senior grades, these grades only reflect a short period of time. It is important that you continue to do your best!

In the meantime, you may have already begun to hear from colleges about their programs and inviting you to visit their campuses. You may even have heard from Northeastern University already! How did we get your contact information? You gave it to us. When you registered to take standardized testing like the PSAT, you indicated you would be willing to receive information from colleges.

If there is a college that you are curious about but haven’t heard from yet, contact them or go online to request more information about the school from their website. Most college admissions home pages make it easy for you to connect with them through “inquiry” forms you can fill out to request more information. Usually this information enhances what you can learn from the website, so fill the form out in order to learn as much about the college as possible.

My advice is to also make yourself known to the colleges you are interested in. Another benefit to filling out inquiry forms is that you will receive invitations to special on-campus programs like open houses or events sponsored by academic departments. Try to attend the events that interest you in person. I always say the best way to get a sense of a school is to visit the campus. Juniors are welcome to visit campus throughout the spring and summer. You may even want to return during your senior year for a closer look as you finalize your options.

Remember, the most successful college searches are the most well-informed, so remember to research schools and programs thoroughly to find out what colleges are right for you.

Filed under: Dean Turner • College Prep • College Admissions