As we move into the second half of the year, juniors are beginning to feel the pressure.

Seniors can begin relaxing now that college applications are done and finally give into senioritis, but for underclassmen, the worst is yet to come.

Many juniors will be taking SATs in the next few months, if they haven’t already. The next test date is March 14, and the College Board website has a list of other dates. Despite recent debates about whether SATs scores actually predict college success or accurately measure student achievement, SATs scores are still an important determining factor for many schools, varying based on the individual schools. Many schools also award merit scholarships for high SAT scores.

Junior Carly Rondeau says that:

“It’s stressful knowing that the acts and all these test are approaching quickly and will determine our future – what we do, where we go to college. It’s scary how fast these things are coming up.”

National Honor Society invitations were also sent out to juniors last week, with applications being due on March 10. The service and scholarship basis of NHS looks good on college applications, although what students do during their service hours and membership tends to be more important to admissions offices.

“This year has been increasingly stressful with the NHS application and SAT dates around the same time,” says junior Rachel Solomon. “Both of these are really important to my future and I have trouble deciding which should be my priority.”

Along with the usual pressures of finals at the end of the year, juniors also have prom (May 8) and AP exams. Exams are the same week as prom – the AP U.S. History and AP European History exams are on the day of – so, while prom might be a bit stressful, hopefully it will be a good way to unwind after all the pressure of exams. Check out the full AP exam schedule here if you haven’t already.

With all the pressure and responsibilities piling up, FHS students and juniors especially are going to have to buckle down over the next few weeks.