Preparing for College

You have a lot to deal with in high school right now, but it’s not too early to start thinking about college. While it may seem far away and a little overwhelming, taking some steps in your junior year can make a big difference when you apply to colleges as a senior.

High School Coursework

Your high school transcripts are the most important part of your application to IUP. We look closely at the courses you’ve taken and how you did in those classes. Your junior year may be the most important year of coursework, depending on when you apply and how well you’ve done. Be thoughtful about the classes you take, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

SATs and ACTs

Hopefully, you aren’t stressing about the SATs or ACTs. IUP is test-optional through the class starting in fall 2025!

Taking these exams is completely up to you. If you decide you want to take them, you may want to consider taking them at least once during your junior year with a plan to take them in the fall of your senior year.

The ACTs are another exam for you to consider. Sometimes, students who struggle on the SATs earn scores that are better indicators of their ability on the ACT exams. The ACTs cover a broader range of information and are worth considering if you decide to take these exams at all.

Whether you take the SAT, ACT, or both, we will apply the highest exam score to your IUP application if you choose to submit them. And, if you share scores from multiple dates, we do superscore—for the SATs, that means we use your best reading and math scores even if they were from different days.

Visiting Campus

Our students tell us that when they made a visit to IUP, that’s when they knew it was the right fit for them. IUP has many opportunities to visit. As a junior, we encourage you to consider attending one of our Open House programs offered in April, July, and August. You’ll be able to tour campus, learn more about campus life, and speak with professors at our Academic Marketplace.

In July and August, we host Decision Day programs for rising seniors who want to apply and learn their decision before the start of the senior year. This is a great opportunity for students to be admitted or to get immediate, early feedback from an IUP admission counselor to learn just what we need for admission.

Financial Aid

If you haven’t already started thinking about how to finance your college education, you should definitely start considering the types of financial aid available and begin planning. You might also look for scholarship opportunities. To make yourself as competitive as possible for admission to IUP and for scholarships, keep your grades up and look for things you can do that will strengthen your application, such as activities, community service, or a part-time job.