Juniors, as you anticipate entering your senior year, your final hurrah on the high school frontier, you will be forced to juggle a multitude of responsibilities. While some of you may view this year as merely the end of one stage of your life, it is important to instead view it as a transition, a phase in which you come to terms with what you will be leaving and what new opportunities and adventures await. Here are some tips to help ease the process.

Ask for teacher recommendations right at the start of senior year.

Like all human beings, teachers can get overwhelmed as well and some even have a quota for the number of recommendations they are willing to write each year. By asking early in the school year, you maximize your chances of getting the teacher who knows you best to write your recommendation.

Submit blue packets within the first two weeks of school.

Also, many colleges require counselor recommendations. In order to request one, you would have to pick up a blue packet from the front office during the first week of school, complete the given questions and distribute the recommendation sheets to five different teachers. Try to give out all five in case one of the teachers does not get the time to complete their sheet.

If you know where you want to go, apply early.

Deciding which college you want to attend may be the most stressful part of senior year. However, if you have a dream school in mind, it may be wise to apply either Early Decision or Early Action, so you can get an answer back by December. Early deadlines are typically in October or November.

Recognize the difference between Early Decision and Early Action.

If you apply Early Decision, you are basically committing to attend the school upon admittance while Early Action implies that you have a high level of interest and want an early response, but cannot give a definite response regarding your commitment just yet. Even if you do not have a dream school in mind, apply early to a safety school in order to ensure that you have a college to fall back on.