Winter Check-In for Portsmouth High School Juniors: What Actually Matters Right Now (And What Can Wait)

A quiet winter check-in for Portsmouth High School Class of 2028 families.

If you are the parent of a junior at Portsmouth High School right now, you have probably noticed a subtle shift in the air—and it’s not just the November chill blowing off the Piscataqua.

Somewhere between the end of Quarter 1 and Thanksgiving break, the conversations on the sidelines at winter sports practices, in line at Ceres Bakery, or at Booster meetings start to change. Suddenly, everyone seems to be talking about SAT prep, campus tour itineraries, and college lists. Before you know it, you’re lying awake at 2:00 AM wondering if you’re already behind.

As a mom as well as an experienced educator, I can see firsthand how overwhelming and sometimes stressful this process can be. My goal is to work with families right here on the Seacoast so they feel well-informed and supported—not panicked."   

— Cheryl Coughlin, M.Ed., Founder of BestFit College Advisors  

Take a deep breath. You aren’t behind, and neither is your teenager. In fact, now is the perfect time to start—without the pressure or panic you’ll see ramping up by spring. Whether your family lives in Portsmouth, Rye, Greenland, or New Castle, junior year is a big transition, and winter gives you a quiet window to lay steady groundwork before things get busy.  

At BestFit College Advisors, we believe the college search shouldn’t be a frantic race to build a cookie-cutter resume. It should be a thoughtful, low-stress process of figuring out who your kid actually is, how they learn best, and where they’re going to thrive.

To keep the college talk from taking over dinner every night this winter, here’s where I’d put your energy right now—and what you can honestly leave alone until spring.

1. Protect Their Energy (And Their Grades)

Admissions officers look closely at junior year grades, not because one B+ on a chemistry test ruins everything, but because they want to see how a student handles upper-level coursework. Right now, your teen’s biggest job is simply showing up, staying organized, and finishing the semester strong.

This is not the time to tell them to join three new clubs just to pad a resume. Colleges aren’t impressed by a laundry list of shallow activities. They would much rather see a PHS student who plays varsity hockey, works a weekend shift at a Seacoast restaurant, or dives deep into a Career Technical Education (CTE) track they genuinely love.

If you have a student who struggles with ADHD or executive functioning, winter is also a great time to focus on systems instead of nagging. Rather than asking, "Did you do your homework?" every night at 8:00 PM, try sitting down on Sunday afternoon for a 15-minute calendar reset together. Encouraging them to use Clipper Block or check in with teachers before winter midterms sneak up builds the exact self-advocacy skills they will need in college. 

2. Treat Naviance Like a Sandbox, Not a Contract

Most parents hear the word "Naviance" and feel an immediate wave of portal fatigue. Think of it less like a high-stakes test and more like a helpful research tool.

Sometime over Thanksgiving or December break, grab a mug of hot chocolate, sit down with your junior for 20 minutes, and let them drive the mouse. Look around the PHS Naviance portal together—explore the career interest surveys, or pull up the scattergrams to see how past Portsmouth High School graduates fared at different colleges.

Keep it lighthearted. There are no final decisions being made here. Just getting comfortable with the platform now makes your upcoming Junior Planning Meeting with the PHS College Counseling office in late winter or early spring feel infinitely more productive and relaxed.

3. Map Out a Smart, Individualized Testing Plan

A quiet winter check-in for Portsmouth High School Class of 2028 families.

You do not need to rush your junior into taking the SAT or ACT this winter. For most PHS juniors, taking a baseline test in the spring—March, May, or June—gives them plenty of time to get comfortable without burning out.

More importantly, testing isn't one-size-fits-all. Some students read quickly and prefer the straightforward format of the ACT; others do much better on the digital SAT. And plenty of brilliant, capable kids shine brightest at test-optional schools where their hands-on projects, essays, and classroom curiosity speak louder than a Saturday morning bubble sheet.

One quick winter task: If your student has an IEP or a 504 plan at PHS, double-check now that their College Board and ACT accommodation requests (like extended time) are submitted and approved well ahead of spring test dates. Getting that paperwork squared away early saves a ton of headache later.

"She brought up so many different points—demographics, weather, dorm life, city living—things I definitely hadn’t thought about, and my son hadn’t either."   — Jacky Kilty, Seacoast Parent (Kittery, ME)  

4. Do a Low-Pressure "Vibe Check"

You don't need to book cross-country flights or cram four official admissions info sessions into one weekend to start exploring colleges. In fact, some of the best early research happens completely informally.

On a quiet Saturday afternoon—or over February break—take a quick drive down Route 4 to walk around UNH in Durham, just to see what a big public flagship campus feels like. A few weeks later, take a stroll through a smaller New England liberal arts campus so your teen can feel the contrast.

Skip the heavy questions like, "Could you picture yourself going here for four years?"  Instead, keep it simple on the drive home:

• Did the campus feel too big, too small, or about right?

• Did the students seem like your kind of people?

• Did you like being near a busy college town, or did you prefer a quieter campus?

Those casual observations give you gold-standard clues about what "best fit" actually looks like for your kid.

What You Can Officially Take Off Your Plate Until Spring

If you need a permission slip to close the 14 college-ranking tabs open on your browser right now, consider this it. Until spring or early summer, you do not need to worry about:

• Writing the Common App personal statement: Let your junior focus on their current classes. Essay brainstorming works much better in late spring or summer when they actually have the mental space to reflect.

• Locking in a final college list: Winter is for exploring broad categories (size, location, academic support), not finalizing 10 or 12 schools.

• Financial aid paperwork: The FAFSA and CSS Profile don't even open until the fall of senior year.

You Don’t Have to Be the "Admissions Expert"

Here is the secret most families forget:  your most important job over the next year isn't memorizing admissions statistics or acting as your teenager’s project manager. Your job is to be their safe landing spot when high school gets overwhelming.

"Cheryl definitely helps relax a lot of people. It wasn't like, 'Oh my gosh, I have to go talk to some random lady about college'—it felt like going to talk to a friend."    — Cooper, College Freshman   

Still wondering what working together looks like in real life? Hear directly from Seacoast families and students in this quick 2-minute video:  

If you’d like a calm, experienced partner to help map out your junior’s timeline, take the guesswork out of testing and college lists, and keep the peace at home, reach out to BestFit College Advisors today to schedule a complimentary strategy consultation. Let’s work together to find the colleges where your student will not only get in, but truly thrive!