Making the Most of Your Summer After Junior Year
Summer is coming, and it’s time to start locking in your plans.
In order to make the most of your summer between 11th and 12th grade, you’ll want to be focused on giving your credentials that extra boost and getting a head start on the college application process.
Also, you should definitely squeeze in some R&R. Here’s how we suggest you do all that!
1. Do something that adds to your either your academic or activity credentials in a meaningful and distinctive way.
A meaningful and distinctive experience during the summer gives your credentials that little extra something and that ultimately makes you a stand out as an applicant. Don’t let the words “meaningful and distinctive” throw you. You don’t have to cure cancer or travel across the world to do something meaningful and distinctive. You just have to do something that adds to the credentials you’ve been building for the last three years. Here are some questions that should help you determine what you could do this summer that would be meaningful and distinctive:
2. Get a head start on college applications.
Taking time during the summer to get a head start on your college applications is the key to a sane fall of your senior year. We’ll have a full list of everything you can get done in a separate post that will come out in the late spring. For now, you just need to be aware that you’ll need time to work on your college applications throughout the summer. One other heads up: if you have colleges on your list that offer on-campus interviews during the summer (Covid permitting), you’ll want to take advantage of this opportunity if your schedule and budget permit. Otherwise, virtual visits are fine too.
3. Squeeze in some R&R.
Junior year is tough and the fall of senior year is jam-packed, so some rest and relaxation is absolutely necessary during the summer. You can absolutely build your credentials, get your work on applications done, AND squeeze in R&R. We suggest you schedule time off during the week, enjoy your weekends, and have some true vacation time – a couple of weeks when you do absolutely nothing other than enjoy life.
Anna Ivey is one of the founders of Inline. An experienced admissions consultant and a frequently cited media expert on the topic of college admissions, she is also co-author of the college admissions bible How to Prepare a Standout College Application. Learn more about Anna's background here.