Junior year in one paragraph
Porter does not need anything from a junior. What junior year decides is whether senior year goes smoothly: the courses on your transcript, a short list of schools you have actually seen, and a family conversation about money that happens before an aid offer arrives rather than after. Applications for fall 2028 open August 1, 2027 — no fee, no essay, about twenty minutes. Everything below leads up to that.
Fall: October–December 2026
| Month | Do this | The Porter piece |
|---|---|---|
| October | Check that your senior-year plan includes the fourth year of math you will want. Go to one college fair, even if you only collect pens. | Porter counselors are at fairs and high schools all fall; see the counselor travel schedule. The PSAT is optional as far as Porter is concerned. |
| November | Start a list of six to ten schools with one column for “what I actually want to study.” | Juniors are welcome at the November 14, 2026 Ironclad Preview Day. |
| December | Ask the money question at home: what can the family contribute, and what is the ceiling on borrowing? | Run net price, not sticker price — see net price and return on investment. |
Winter: January–March 2027
| Month | Do this | The Porter piece |
|---|---|---|
| January | Meet your school counselor about senior courses before registration. | Check against the 17-unit pattern on first-year admission requirements; algebra II should be done or underway. Preview Day on Monday, January 18 (no school for most districts). |
| February | Look into dual enrollment for senior year; sign-ups at many schools close in spring. | Presidents’ Day Preview Day, February 15, includes a class visit. |
| March | Decide whether to take the ACT or SAT at all, and book a date if so. | Scores are optional at Porter — read test-optional admission before paying for a test. Preview Day March 6. |
Spring: April–June 2027
| Month | Do this | The Porter piece |
|---|---|---|
| April | Visit at least two campuses in person. Finalize senior courses. | Junior Preview Day, Friday, April 16, 2027 — built for juniors, with a shorter program and a session on senior-year planning. |
| May | Finish the year strong; junior grades are the last full year a reader sees. | Porter does not require recommendation letters, but some programs elsewhere do — ask teachers now if you need them. |
| June | Line up a summer job, a project or a program. Work counts. | Summer academies are listed on precollege programs; summer weekday visits are on campus tour options. |
Summer: July–August 2027
- July: narrow the list to the schools you would actually attend. Write a one-page activities and work list — the Foundation scholarship application asks for it, and so do others.
- August 1, 2027: Porter’s fall 2028 application opens. Applying in August through October puts you well ahead of the December 1 merit round.
- Then: switch to the senior-year timeline.
For families: if no one in your family has been through a college application, that is common at Porter and there is help built for it: being a first-generation student is a good start, and parents and families covers the supporter side. Your regional counselor will talk with parents as readily as with students.
What a junior can still change
By the time a reader opens your file, most of it is fixed. The parts still in your hands this year:
- Senior courses. A fourth year of math or a second lab science matters more for engineering, computing and health applicants than nearly anything else you could add.
- The trend line. A stronger junior year after a weak start reads well; readers look at the direction, not just the average.
- Work. A steady part-time job is worth listing, and it counts the same as a club.
- Knowing what you want to study. “Undecided” is a perfectly good answer at Porter, but a visit to one lab or studio usually makes the choice easier.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. This timeline, its preview days and its application dates are invented for a fictional university; real juniors should build their plans around the colleges and school counselors they actually have.