Black girl with afro in shirt, tie, and flippers with laptop in beach chair

5 Things High School Students Need to Do This Summer

Want to stand out in the college admission process? Take matters into your own hands by getting a job, visiting campuses, and more over the summer.

Summer is here. It’s awesome. And you’ve probably been waiting for it all year long. Summer means sleeping late, hanging out with friends, and not having to write history papers. But summer is also a time to think about college and the next steps of life. With college admission as competitive as it is, every summer activity counts. In fact, Princeton University historically asks on its application: “How have you spent the last two summers?”

Colleges want to know how you occupy your time. This gives them insight into who you are and what you prioritize. Colleges look for students who dedicate themselves to activities and projects as they aim to build a well-rounded incoming freshman class. And even if it’s the summer after your freshman year of high school, it’s never too early to figure out how your plans for the next 10 weeks may impact potential college applications. Here are the top five activities to consider participating in this summer to help you stand out in the college admission process.

1. Volunteer

Community service begins in the neighboring blocks or miles around your home. Do not neglect the power of doing good in your immediate vicinity. You have plenty of opportunities to help others at churches, rec centers, day camps, and more. You do not have to travel to Fiji to dig a well to do community service. In fact, an expensive trip abroad may signal “vacation” more than “volunteering.” If you plan to volunteer abroad, ensure the program has a dedicated service component that is easily understood. Wherever you go, expect that the experience will change you. It will also confirm your willingness to be a contributing and conscientious (global) citizen. 

Related: How to Encourage Others to Volunteer With You

2. Establish and/or clean up your online presence

You're probably already active online. But now more than ever, it’s important to use social media responsibly. No more inappropriate pictures or language. Instead, create a website with your name and highlight what you do. Upload YouTube videos of you singing, performing in the arts, playing in a game, or simply sharing your vision for the world. Since your online presence is often how people meet you for the first time, make it something you are proud of.

3. Take some classes

Summer classes at a local community college are very different from high school. You should be able to take a class that intrigues you. It may even springboard into your eventual college major. Plus, taking an additional three to six weeks to invest in your long-term education makes you smarter and shows colleges that you are a serious student. It’s also possible to take credit-bearing summer courses that most colleges will accept for credit, which can save you money in the long run.

Related: 5 Tips for Summer Courses to Avoid Ruining Your Break

4. Get a job

Paid or unpaid jobs (like internships) give you a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience. Many of these jobs can help you determine what you want or do not want to do later in life. If you work in retail, for example, you might find you do not want to do that later in life. Or if you intern at a startup company, maybe you will be inspired to learn the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship. No matter what the job is, at this age, you will emerge better for it. And colleges will be impressed with your work ethic.

5. Visit colleges

No matter if you are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, you should make a point to spend some time on a college campus this summer. If you have any potential colleges in mind, those should be your priority. But it doesn’t hurt to visit campuses near you either, just to get the experience. Since most college admission offices remain open during the summer, you can pay an informal visit. How will this impress them? Colleges track “demonstrated interest.” When it is time to apply, you will be able to connect with an admission officer and build an authentic rapport. If you can confirm your interest in a school, especially from a summer visit, you may shine brighter than the other applicants.

Related: College Visits: How to Prepare to Take Tours and Explore Campus

It's never too early to start thinking about what you can do to impress colleges—and it’s really never too late either! Get involved in any of these activities this summer to boost your résumé and show your worth to any school. They'll be sure to take notice.

For more insider advice, check out what our experts have to say about college admission, campus visits, and more with our Ask the Experts Q&A.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Shereem Herndon-Brown

Shereem Herndon-Brown is the founder and director of Strategic Admissions Advice LLC, a company that offers college and graduate school application assistance and academic planning advice.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Bishop's University

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada


Kayla

Kayla

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me organize the schools I wanted to choose from in one place, which I could then easily compare and find the school that was right for me!

Casey Kammeyer

Casey Kammeyer

$500 Refer-A-Friend Scholarship Winner

I love the site CollegeXpress; it has been very helpful finding colleges and getting them to send me information. It has also been very, very helpful with finding tons of scholarships. Also, I told many of my friends about it and they love it as well!

Caio Matos

Caio Matos

High School Class of 2022

Starting the college admissions process as an international student was daunting. Thankfully, CollegeXpress was the first website I used for that cause and it helped me so much, from knowing where to start to deciding what my next move would be. I'll take a gap year, but I’m certainly using the website again when applying for fall 2023.

Sadie Hartmann

Sadie Hartmann

High School Class of 2021

I'm a senior in high school, and CollegeXpress has helped me in so many ways this year in trying to navigate the process of deciding and committing to a university. The COVID-19 Student Resource Center has helped me many times with the most up-to-date and accurate information, along with financial aid and student life [advice]. During these uncertain times, CollegeXpress has been a great recourse to relieve the stress as a senior. Along with the COVID-19 Student Resource Center, I'm constantly using the extremely helpful tools off the site to aid me during this stressful process. Tools like the lists and rankings of universities have been the most beneficial. I've also used the site to receive expert advice on topics like financial aid. Finally, CollegeXpress has helped me easily apply for several scholarships. I'm thankful to be given the chance to win a scholarship to lessen the burden of my college debt.

Rayan Hamdan

Rayan Hamdan

High School Student

I joined CollegeXpress just a few months ago. I had been struggling with severe anxiety, causing me to not be able to tour schools and make sure a college would be perfect for me. I came across CollegeXpress one day when I was searching for colleges online, and it completely changed the game. I was easily able to choose colleges that would suit me, and I also entered a few giveaways! Thank you so much!