Summer is just around the corner, and many high school students are starting to figure out what they will be doing over the summer months. We have been receiving many questions from high school families about how best to plan summers that would help with college admissions. We have assembled below 10 things students can do, but before exploring any of these options, it is important for students to take stock of what they are interested in, what their strengths are, and what skills they would like to develop over the summer, and throughout their high school years.
There are many ways for high school students to spend their summers, and their free time in general but the best way to spend that time is to find something that the student can get excited about, want to spend time on, and want to go deeper into. What colleges care most about is that students show curiosity, commitment to an activity, desire to pursue excellence in what they do, and have a meaningful impact (personally and/or to those around them).
Students in 9th and 10th grade may be in the exploratory phase, and may want to try different classes, or summer programs, or work on a personal project in the arts, writing, business, or sciences. Some may already have very strong interests, and are gunning for an extremely competitive summer program for their Junior summer, which may entail working backwards and finding ways to strengthen their candidacy in their freshman and sophomore summer to be competitive in their junior summer. 11th graders with a track record of taking specialized courses in the sciences, or business, or the arts, may be ready to apply to the prestigious summer program, or internship, or ready to build an impressive arts portfolio or writing submission for publication. Many students will get a job or volunteer and experience what real life is all about and gain invaluable skills.
This is a great time for students to put a list together of all of the activities they are involved in as well as things they would like to try, or do more of. Then they should prioritize that list, to add classes/programs/jobs/etc. that strengthen their top priority activities.
1. Participate in specialized pre-college or high school program
There is an incredible array of specialized programs across many college campuses throughout the country. Learn about entrepreneurship at the Berkeley Business Academy. Learn about how countries solve Global Problems at the Yale Young Global Scholars. Learn cutting edge science research through Boston University RISE Internship. Whatever the interest, there is a plethora of programs to choose from. See Most Prestigious Summer Programs and Are Pre-College Summer Programs Worth It? for additional information.
2. Get a job, internship, or job-shadowing experience
Colleges truly value job experiences. Whether you work as a cashier at your local grocery store or you created social media marketing campaigns for a startup company, being able to get a job and do well at a job speaks volumes about a student's maturity, interpersonal skills, and motivations. It is also a plus when students have a focus, have some ideas about future career plans, and proactively work to build skills towards those goals. Read Why Summer Jobs and Work Experience Matter When High School Students Apply to College for additional insights.
3. Volunteer
Pursuing initiatives or activities for the common good of the community is something that colleges speak of frequently. Students that use time and energy to help those around them, whether it is at a local hospital or nursing home, or through advocacy work on climate change or local elections, college are looking for student leaders that are looking to make a positive impact on those around them. Don’t pursue this to impress colleges, but pick a cause that you care about and let those interests lead the way.
4. Take college courses through local community college
Local colleges offer advanced level courses not available in high schools. Motivated students can take advantage of this opportunity to pursue higher level, more specialized courses. Students will also get an opportunity to interact with college students.
5. Take online classes
There has been a revolution taking place in online education that has truly accelerated because of Covid-19 pandemic. You can take just about any classes imaginable online now, and many for free. Checkout University MOOCS on platforms such as Coursera and EdX. Outschool offers thousands of courses on every subject. See Best of Online Learning - University Classes, Best of Online Learning - Coding, and Best of Online Learning - Music and Art.
6. Get involved with research
Research is not just for STEM students. Although science research is a great option for students interested in pursuing new frontiers of science with local college professors or through pre-college programs, students can pursue research in social science, linguistics, literature, and the arts. Talk to your teachers about how students can get involved in college level research. Check out Intro to Science Research for some ideas.
7. Work on an independent project
Work on a screenplay or novel. Get together with friends and create a jazz band. Research family genealogy and plan a family reunion. Start a company! Students should not be limited by organized programs when it comes to pursuing their interests. When pursuing something you care about, it does not need to be organized by a third party - it is most impressive to follow your heart to strike on your own (or with others you can recruit). See Entrepreneurship Opportunities for High School Students for additional information.
8. Take high school courses to jump ahead, remediate, get requirements out of the way
Perhaps you were not on the honors math track in middle school, but you would like to join the honors track in high school. Perhaps you are struggling in a class, and need to drop a class that needs to be made up in the summer. Perhaps you need to take a health class in the summer so that you can take the 2 full electives you really want during the school year. There are many great reasons to attend summer school!
9. Work on college applications, go on campus tours, study for standardized exams
For Juniors, and even sophomores, summer is a great time to study for standardized tests and get started on the college process. Check out Summer Checklist for the Class of 2021 for more information on getting started on the college application.
10. Go on family vacation, travel with friends, take a break!
Don’t forget, getting rest, enjoying family time, and recharging for the next school year is just as important as everything stated above. Take a couple of weeks out of the summer to enjoy being with family and friends doing things without a care in the world.
For additional insights, read:
Most Prestigious Summer Program
Are Pre-College Summer Programs Worth It?
High School Extracurriculars that Matter for College Admissions
2021 List of Summer Pre-College Programs
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