How to Make the Most of Summer to Prep for College Admissions

By Thomas Broderick

It’s late May, which means summer vacation is right around the corner for millions of high school students like you. As both a former student and teacher, I remember those days fondly. It was like the light at the end of the tunnel. Just hang on a little longer and I’d be rewarded with nine glorious weeks off.

Yes, I expect you to use this upcoming summer break to get a little R&R. However, if you’re a rising high school sophomore, junior, or senior, I encourage you to spend a little time over the following weeks to prepare for college admissions.

That said, let’s dive into what you can do to make the most of this summer while still leaving you plenty of time to relax.   

If You’re a Rising Sophomore

Now that you’ve completed freshman year, you should have a decent understanding of your academic strengths and weaknesses. You also (hopefully) found at least one extracurricular activity that you enjoy. Let’s turn this new knowledge into an action plan.

What You Should Do

• If struggled with English or math your freshman year, spend 2-3 hours a week reviewing lessons on Khan Academy. Using Khan Academy or a similar service will both improve your English/math skills and prevent you from forgetting what you learned.
  • If your parents can afford a tutor, that works, too. 🙂
• Spend about 7-10 hours over the summer researching colleges online. Here are some potential Google searches:
  • Colleges that have strong [Insert the name of your favorite subject here] programs.
  • Community colleges in [your state].
  • Best public colleges in [your state].
  • Colleges that award scholarship for [your extracurricular activity/high GPAs/good test scores].
• As you research potential schools, you’ll notice that a lot of them come with big price tags. Talk to your families about what the can/will contribute to your college education.

What You Could Do 

• As you’ll take either the PLAN or PSAT test during your sophomore year, you need to decide whether you are going to prepare for either test. Many students take these tests ‘cold’ so they can understand their natural strengths and weaknesses. This is fine, but if you are aiming for a National Merit Scholarship, you’ll need to put in some PSAT prep.
  • See my PSAT article for further advice on how to prepare for test day.

If You’re a Rising Junior

Becoming a junior is a big deal. You’re an upperclassman now, and college is just two years away. This summer you’ll need to take a more active role in preparing for your future. 

What You Should Do

• Go on at least two college tours.
  • By researching colleges online, you should know already have a few that interest you. It’s time to hit the road with the family and see these colleges up close.
• Decide whether to prepare for the ACT or SAT.
  • You’ll likely take both of these tests during your college admissions journey. However, as many students discover that perform slightly better on one test over the other.
    • To figure out which test to prepare for, take a timed practice ACT and SAT and use a score conversion chart.
• Curate scholarship opportunities.
  • Continue your research from last summer and select 5-10 scholarships that you can apply to now or when you become a senior.
    • • • Although application deadlines might not be for another year, researching now means that you still have time to improve your grades/increase your volunteer hours/etc.

• Sign up for challenging classes.
  • No, I don’t mean ‘take all AP courses.’ Yes, for some students, that’s challenging. For others, it’s a recipe for burnout/failure/etc. You need to choose a curriculum that’s challenging for you.
  • In other words, if you made an A in a non-honors course, consider taking the honors course in that same subject area as a junior.
    • The same advice applies if you did well in honors courses as a sophomore. Maybe it’s time to take 1-2 APs your junior year. 

What You Could Do

• Take an ACT or SAT prep course.
  • Standardized tests like the ACT and SAT are a milestone for high school juniors. By preparing for these tests now, you might earn a good enough score that you do not have to retake them later.
• Intern or volunteer.
  • There are plenty of internship or volunteer opportunities in your local community. Find one that represents a cause or issue you believe in and spend 5-10 hours each week interning or volunteering. 

If You’re a Rising Senior

College admissions season is coming up fast, which means that this summer you’ll decide which colleges you’ll apply to in the fall. The following advice should help you make up your mind and put the final touches on your application packets.

What You Should Do

• Take additional college tours.
  • The summer before senior year is the perfect time to wrap up your college tours.
  • Be sure to prepare questions in advance.
• Prepare to retake the ACT or SAT.
  • You took one or both of these tests during the spring. Now that you have the results, you can create a study plan that involves tutors or free Khan Academy resources.
  • I’d recommend spending 1-2 hours a week on test prep. This way, you can retake the ACT or SAT in late August or early September. These test windows are excellent as you’ll have your results in hand before college applications are due. 

What You Could Do 

• Start application essays.
  • It’s never too early to start your application essays. See my article on the topic for more information.
• Keep interning or volunteering.
  • If you interned of volunteered last summer, keep up the good work by trying a new experience this summer.

Final Thoughts

Summer is a great time to relax. By all means, stay up late, sleep in, and have a good time with your friends. But remember that time is a resource like any other. This summer, invest some time in your future by preparing for life after high school. Future you will thank present you.