Making the most of the summer before senior year
For
college-bound high school students, the months between junior and
senior years are crucial for jump starting the application process.
It’s also a great time for discovering new interests, adding to your
resume, and otherwise positioning yourself for beginning the ultimate
transition from high school senior to college freshman.
The
first day of the
last year
of high school will be here before you know it. But in the meantime,
here are some ways you can make the most of the summer before senior
year:
Work. Options range from scooping ice cream at the
shore to organizing a book drive, conducting research, interning on
Capitol Hill or hammering nails for
Habitat for Humanity.
By the time you’ve completed junior year of high school, you should be
old enough and responsible enough to work—full or part time, paid or
unpaid. Work builds character, introduces career options, teaches
skills, and expands your network in important ways. Don’t miss the
opportunity to add to your resume while learning something about
yourself and others.
Visit Colleges. Campus tours don’t stop just because
undergrads are off doing other things. Now is the time to check out the
last few colleges on your list and refine your ideas of how location,
size or architecture affects your thinking about a particular campus.
And by the way, the summer is a great time for having more relaxed
conversations with admissions staff, coaches, or professors in
departments you may be targeting.
Nail Down the List. Take a deep breath and begin
eliminating schools that don’t really appeal or offer what you want.
Zero-in on places representing the best fit—academically, socially,
and financially—and begin committing to a realistic list of schools to which you intend to apply.
Demonstrate Interest. Beyond visiting campuses,
engage in a systematic demonstrated interest campaign. Be proactive by
getting on mailing lists, requesting information, initiating
correspondence, getting to know regional representatives and attending
local events. In addition to showing your favorite schools a little
love, you might just learn something important about campus culture or
new initiatives colleges want to introduce to prospective applicants.
Get Organized. There are a zillion moving parts to
the college admissions process. Get a handle on them by creating a
spreadsheet of colleges on your list and noting deadlines, requirements
(recommendations, test score submission, interviews), important
admissions policies (non-binding early action vs. binding early
decision), and application quirks (supplements, scholarships, honors
programs/colleges). Also, make note of which colleges use the
Common Application, the
Universal College Application (UCA), the
Coalition Application or other school-based forms.
Prepare your Resume. If you don’t have one already,
put together a resume or a detailed written list of accomplishments and
activities. Turn it into a PDF for sharing with others or uploading with
applications. Explore online resume templates, such as
ZeeMee or
Linked In. If you know colleges on your list partner with ZeeMee, consider creating a
private account before the end of the summer.
Do the Clerical Part. There’s no reason not to
complete the simple stuff early in the summer by opening applications
and entering basic information. All three major platforms are capable of
rolling information from one year to the next and encourage the
completion of questions that are unlikely to change. So do it. The
Coalition and the UCA are set up so that colleges can launch as early as
July 1. The Common Application will be ready to go on
August 1.
Other applications and supplements will appear on websites as the
summer progresses. If you start shared elements of your applications,
you will be one step ahead.
Draft Essays. Now is the time to begin brainstorming
and drafting essays. Explore a variety of topics and don’t be afraid to
change direction or discard work that’s going nowhere. This is the
advantage of writing and reflecting during summer months before the
pressures of senior year cut into Zen time. While essay prompts for
personal statements have been posted for months, college-specific
supplements and essays will roll out over the course of the summer. Keep
checking websites and make note of prompts as they appear. And then
start writing!
Prep for Standardized Tests. You’ve probably taken the
ACT and/or the
SAT
at least once. If you didn’t knock the ball out of the park the first
time (and most don’t), plan to prep for a retake. SAT now offers an
August test, in addition to October. ACT has a test in September and in
2018 will have one in July. For the most part, scores from these tests
will be returned in time for you to make the earliest of early
deadlines. Get a tutor, sign-up for classes or simply sit at the kitchen
table and take timed practice tests.
Research and Apply for Scholarships. The scholarship
hunt should begin now—not after all your college applications have been
submitted. A surprising number of scholarships have applications due
early in the school year and use essay prompts similar to those you’re
working on for colleges. Use
FastWeb or
Cappex to get an overview of what’s out there. And while you’re at it, explore
FAFSA4caster
with your parents for a little reality testing and apply early for that
all-important Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. FAFSA goes live on October
1, but there’s nothing to be gained by waiting until then to sign-up for
the FSA ID.
Secure Recommendations. If you haven’t done so
already, try to get in touch with at least two core academic teachers
from junior year to ask for college recommendations. You may or may not
need both, but it’s always a good idea to have two teachers willing to
support you. Don’t delay—teachers may limit the number of
recommendations they’re willing to write or they may want to get started
before school begins. And be sure to provide recommenders with whatever
background information they request—at a minimum, a resume and cover
note reinforcing your appreciation and why you asked them to play this
important role in your application process.
Schedule Interviews. Many colleges offer on-campus
interviews during the summer. You want to be able to check these
requirements off your list sooner rather than later. Colleges make it
easy to combine interviews with campus tours, but you have to schedule
early to get days and times that work for you.
Position Yourself for Fall Classes. Be aware that
senior year courses and grades can be very important in admissions
decisions. Colleges want to see upward trends in grades, and they care
very much that you continue to challenge yourself academically. Obtain
texts for any challenging or AP/IB classes and “study forward” during
the summer. If necessary, give your tutor a call and go over the first
few chapters of material you know will keep you up late at night come
September.
Read, Relax, Enjoy Yourself and Connect with Friends. A year from now, you’ll be packing your bags!
