A junior is person in the third year at an educational institution; usually at a
secondary school or at the
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
and
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
level, but also in other forms of
post-secondary educational institutions. In United States high schools, a junior is equivalent to an eleventh grade student. Juniors are considered upperclassmen.
Education in the United States
High school
In the United States the
11th grade
Eleventh grade, 11th grade, junior year, or grade 11 (called Year 12 in Wales and England and fifth form in Jamaica) is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16–17 years of age, depending ...
is usually the third year of a student's high school period and is referred to as junior year. High school juniors are advised to prepare for college entrance exams (ACT or SAT) and to start narrowing down on colleges they want to go to.
College
In the U.S., colleges generally require students to declare an
academic major
An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''conc ...
by the beginning of their junior year. College juniors are advised to begin the
internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
process and preparing for additional education (medical school, law school, etc.) by completing applications and taking additional examinations.
Yale UCS - Year by Year Guide - Sophomore Year
See also
* Freshman
* Sophomore
* Senior
References
Educational stages
Educational years
Students in the United States
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