By Brooke Carleton
Most of us do it every year. countdown to summer. What’s not to like: warm weather,
vacations, adventures and having fun with family and friends. Why not take advantage of your
vacations and time off to visit and explore new cities and colleges. Whether it is a school you’ve
always dreamed of visiting or one you have never heard of, it is a way to start to build your
college list and narrowing down a school that is perfect for you!
Don’t have a ton of time to get away with your family? That’s okay, there is still a ton of stuff
high schoolers can do over the summer that are fun and can also be proactive, see some ideas
below:
Research specialized high school programs to participate in
Get a job
Apply for internships
Volunteer in your community
Find a job-shadowing opportunity
Start test prep
Look into college visits
Obviously, each summer you’re going to have different college planning tasks to work on, so lets
break it down. Are you a senior, below are some things you should be doing:
-come up with your college list
-contact the schools on your list: visit them and show interest
-be/get organized!! Know your deadlines.
-test prep for ACT/SAT
-begin to brainstorm for your college essay
Even as a sophomore or junior, you should be using your summer wisely and work on the
following during your break:
-start or continue to build your college resume; get involved and take advantage of opportunities
that come your way
-visit schools
-research college majors
-test prep
-focus on core and AP courses in your class schedule
You should definitely take some time to relax on your summer break after months of hard work,
but don’t forget to participate in some activities that will show colleges who you are as a person.