We love summer as much as you do, but maybe for a different reason. Yes, sun is great. Yes, time off from school is sort of awesome. The real reason we love summer, though, is that it is a stellar time to boost your application. Whether you will be a rising freshman, sophomore, junior, or newly-minted senior, there is a lot you can do to make your summers fun and relaxing while still giving yourself a leg up come application seasons. And even though we are now in this dystopia due to the Coronavirus, all of this advice holds true.
The first step in planning your ideal summer is to identify what kind of structure you need to succeed. Some students can flourish with flexibility and can juggle three different commitments at once. That doesn’t work for everyone, though. Some people need more structure — whether through a (focused) camp, a program, or by merely focusing on one thing at a time. Everyone needs to do something.
Once you’ve identified what kind of structure you succeed best in, there are four steps we use to determine what students need from summer: Focus in, Map opportunity, Find holes, Go beyond the expected, and Be realistic.
FOCUS IN
Focusing in is the process of determining what type of activity or subject you are most interested in. Start by listing (yes, on paper) your past summer and school break experiences. What programs, camps, or internships have you taken part in and loved? What jobs have you enjoyed? You don’t need to include things you didn’t like, but it’s worth asking yourself why they weren’t a winning experience.
Next, you need to think about what you want to pursue in college. If you don’t know what you want to major in or what career path you would like to pursue, write down your favorite subject in school and the one you excel in most effortlessly (they can be the same).
Look down at your paper. Where do your favorite experiences intersect with what you are most interested in? Do you love hiking and excel in the natural sciences? That’s an intersection! Did you once take a summer writing workshop and never stopped jotting down stories? That’s another one to circle! Are you interested in hospitality and management and have worked in the front of house in a restaurant? That’s another intersection for you. There may only be one point of overlap, or there could be many. Circle any that you can find.
MAP OPPORTUNITY
Once you have your points of intersection, you need to map out your opportunity network. It isn’t critical that you have connections, but figuring out who in your life may be able to help you out can make things easier to coordinate. Do you have family (or family friends) who could help you find an internship? Is there a place of employment that would consider hiring or re-hiring you because they already know that you’re a hard worker? Do you have a connection to any college programs or the resources to attend one if you wanted to?
Write down all of the potential opportunities and connections you can think of. If you get stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Your parents may even know someone who already has your dream job and would be willing to take you under their wing.
FIND HOLES
Next, you need to ask yourself whether there is anything you wish could be part of your application — but that you just haven’t done quite yet. Do you want to be able to write about an internship? Do you think work experience would round out your profile? (We are strong proponents of students getting summer jobs.) Are you curious about pursuing research in college but don’t know what that means or looks like?
Pick one or two holes to fill using the opportunities and foci you’ve already identified.
BE REALISTIC
Once you know what you want to do and the rough outline of how you’re going to make it happen, you need to be realistic. This may mean applying for summer program scholarships. It may mean getting a part-time job to cover the costs of your internship or research position. It may also mean not having a ton of time to hang out with friends. Be realistic as you plan your summer, don’t overbook yourself, and aim to have a productive break that still leaves time for rest and relaxation.
If planning the perfect summer still sounds overwhelming, we understand. There’s a lot that goes into it! We help college-bound students every step of the way, and yes that includes planning summer vacations. If you want to tap us in, shoot us a note!