5 Things to Do This Summer As A Rising Senior In High School

The summer after junior year of high school is an important time for anyone applying to college in the fall. As someone who recently went through the stressful college application process, I can’t even begin to tell you how important it was to get a head start over the summer. 

By maximizing my summer, I had more time for classes, extracurricular activities, and many other things during my fall semester. While some of my friends were still drafting their Common App essays, I had already submitted most of my applications and had begun to hear back from some schools. 

If you’re looking to apply early to college, want to free up more time during senior year for other activities, or just want to get the process over with, I’m here to share 5 productive things you can do during the summer before senior year to get a leg up. 

1. Take a Summer Course

Taking a college-level course over the summer is a great option if you’re looking to explore college-level academics, dip your toes in challenging coursework, or want to explore your passion for various subjects.

My school doesn’t offer AP courses due to its small size, and I felt a little bummed that I couldn’t earn college credit while I was in high school. If your school is similar, or if you’re already acing your APs and want to earn more credits, look for courses at local colleges in your community.

Community colleges are your best bet because they have the cheapest credit rate, but some larger, 4-year colleges and universities still offer summer courses for high school students. 

Bonus points if you take a summer class (and do well) at a school you’re looking to apply to. It will definitely give you an edge on other applicants!

Please be careful, though: the grade you earn in your summer class stays on your college transcript even if you were in high school when you took it, so make sure you do well and keep up with its demands.

2. Get a Summer Job or Internship

Summer jobs or internships are perfect for busy students during the school year who can’t make a year-round commitment. 

Check out your local retail shops, restaurants, or summer camps for kids—they’re always looking for extra help. If you dig deeper, you might find some unique internships available to high school students. 

Use job or internship tools like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Chegg Internships to see what’s in your area, but if you don’t come across anything that piques your interest, don’t be afraid to cold-call surrounding start-ups, labs, universities, or businesses. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and see what sticks. 

3. Start Drafting Your College Essay

Writing the Common App essay, also known as your Personal Statement, is arguably one of the most difficult parts of the college application process. Thinking of a memorable topic that grabs the reader’s attention while revealing something important about yourself in just 650 words is only half the battle.

You’ll likely go through a ton of drafts, hundreds of edits, rewrites, rewrites, and more rewrites before you’re ready to submit your essay. If it’s not already obvious, get started on it as soon as possible.

Set weekly goals for your writing and pace yourself. Remember: you can’t write it in one night, so make sure you have plenty of time to flesh it out.

But before I even began writing my essay, I watched countless YouTube videos on how other students found inspiration for their topic and tips and tricks they learned, and this was helpful for me when it came time to put pen to paper.

4. Tour Your Schools

If you’re planning to apply to 10 or more schools like I did, it’s important that you start visiting campuses as early as you can. You definitely don’t want to be squeezing in last-minute tours during the brunt of the college application season when you’re neck-deep in essays.

Summer is a great time to visit your schools because you’ll get to see them in beautiful weather, you won’t be rushed because you have to plan your tour around school or sports, and you may get more personalized attention.

While many colleges were closed for tours last summer, many of them have started to open back up at reduced capacity for prospective students like you. 

In general, touring the schools you’ll be applying to is super important because you can’t really get a feel for the culture or environment from a website – you’ve got to step foot on campus and see it for yourself.  If you cannot tour the schools, don’t worry – here’s what you can do instead.

Come to your tour prepared with insightful questions and an open mind: you never know who you’ll meet or what connections you’ll make while visiting. 

5. Begin Looking At Scholarships

Let’s face it: college is really, really expensive. According to Business Insider, college tuition has increased by over 260% since the 1980’s (around the time your parents may have gone to college). 

Despite the ever-rising cost of college, scholarships allow many students and their families to afford the dream of higher education. 

Typically, upon review of your college application by your admissions officer, they will select you for certain scholarships if you’re eligible, and there’s usually no other application process you must undergo. 

While your school may award you some institutional money, many students also apply to outside, private scholarships to cover as much of the cost as they can. 

Ideally, start searching for scholarships during the summer before your senior year to give yourself plenty of time to find the right opportunities and apply for them.

As your school year comes to a close, don’t forget to enjoy all the wonderful things about summer and enjoy your time off. Make sure you’re still staying on your game and get ready for the thrill of college application season. Good luck!