What should I do this summer?

Summer may seem like a long way away, but warm weather and a break from the stress of the school year and the daily routine will be here before we know it! This is the time for teenagers to start planning out how they can get the most out of their summer break from classes. For those high school students thinking ahead to applying to college, particularly highly selective institutions, summer plans are a very important way to bolster a resume and stand out as an exceptional candidate.

Let’s be clear: signing up for more activities in the attempt to “stockpile” a resume defined by quantity is not the way to stand out in the admissions process. Similarly, adding an activity simply to “look good on a college application” isn’t going to impress an admissions committee if it isn’t backed up by genuine interest and investment of time. For many students of past generations, attending a summer program at their top choice college was seen as a means to find success a year later in the college admissions process. Although programs like that may have real value in helping the student learn more about that particular school, they do not influence admissions committees nearly as much as most families think.

If these aren’t the best options, what is there to do?  The key is to dive into experiences that demonstrate initiative and independence. Yes, further coursework (whether that be at your high school or at a college) is certainly better than sitting around at home and doing nothing, but it’s much more meaningful to pro-actively invest time in a project or a job that is outside the context of your high school peer group and in which you are being mentored by an expert or giving back to your community. 

The key here is that these experiences are not simply meaningful to an admissions committee…they make for more meaningful experiences for the student. Demonstrating purpose and passion is at the heart of a successful college application. And the summer is a great time to take those steps.

Here are some ideas for ways that students can show their initiative and independence in the summer, while staying true to their own interests:

• Summer jobs. A good old-fashioned part-time summer job develops responsibility and fosters collaboration and cooperation with co-workers and customers. And for many students, the earnings from a summer job are a necessity. This remains a great choice for a teenager’s summer that benefits everyone.

• Academic Research. It is easier said than done to find a research mentor who will work with a high schooler, but this is a guaranteed stand-out way for students to extend their academic passions beyond the classroom and show their exceptional capabilities in a field.  Far more impressive than sitting in a classroom with 30 other students, working one-on-one with a university professor on an original research project pays huge dividends in the college admissions process. At Arthur Smith Advising we work closely with students to identify pathways to find these projects.

• Internships. Finding an internship provides hands-on, real world experience that allows students to “test the waters” with their career goals. Like a research position, these are also hard for teenagers to “land,” but at Arthur Smith Advising we help our students investigate the possibilities that can provide a meaningful work experience in the industry a student is excited about.

• Create! What better time than the summer to create your own fund-raiser, establish a tutoring service, or organize a social justice initiative? College admissions offices love seeing students build something of their own. Don’t wait. At Arthur Smith Advising we love brainstorming with students on these ideas and helping them find mentors to support their projects.

• Community Service. Devoting your summer to helping others and volunteering your time to further the public good will always be valued. It makes for a long day, but after earning some spending money at a part-time job, or gaining valuable experience with a research position or an internship, devoting the rest of your day to “getting your hands dirty” in the service of others is certainly rewarded in the admissions review process.

The summer is an important time to recharge and relax. And it’s also a time for high schoolers to differentiate themselves in the college admissions process by demonstrating their initiative and independence while exploring their passions.