Merit Prep Tutoring

Home » Five Ways to Use Summer Break Wisely When Applying to College

Five Ways to Use Summer Break Wisely When Applying to College

Five Ways to Use Summer Break Wisely

Attention Rising Seniors! The last summer break before your senior year of high school can be one of the most memorable periods of life. It’s also one of the most important times for finalizing your college application plan. Read our tips below for how best to use summer break for applying to college.

1. Plan Your Application Timeline

Timing is everything. The process from initial research to final submission can be a lengthy one, filled with many twists and turns. Start early. As soon as school lets out following your junior year, you should start putting together a calendar that will cover the next five months (from June through November). Make a list of everything you want to get done in those months, and ideally list these things in order. Be sure to include items such as:

  • College Campus Tours

  • Discussions with current students and alumni

  • Testing dates and results dates

  • Non-Academic items such as vacations, travel, work obligations, sports, or other commitments

  • Meetings with your counselor, both in-school and outside of school

  • Any recruiting trips (for sports, diversity, talent, or otherwise)

  • First Draft deadlines for your main essays

  • First Draft deadlines for your supplementary essays

  • Final Draft deadlines for all essays

This list isn’t fully comprehensive, and obviously some items you will not have complete control over scheduling (like interviews, and fly-in visits), but there are many things that you will be able to control, and it’s good to start thinking about these things as early as possible. Work to give yourself a sense of exactly how much time you have available as soon as possible, and the process will be much smoother throughout.

2. Start Keeping a Daily Journal

One of the biggest tips we tell students who are starting the college application process is to keep a journal. It doesn’t have to be anything detailed or robust — a simple Google Doc or Notes App filled with general thoughts or observations throughout the day is enough to get the process started. The point is, you will be doing a lot of writing as part of the college application process, and it’s a good idea to get into the habit of recording your thoughts daily. Not only will you get used to the idea of harnessing your thoughts in a literary format, but you’ll also start capturing more of your thoughts and insights which will be essential for crafting a compelling personal statement. The college application essay is one of the best ways to showcase who you are not only as a person, but as a thinker, and this level of insight and awareness starts with daily thought and effort. Entries don’t need to be long, but should be adequately reflective. Once the time comes to start working on your essays, you’ll be thankful that you took the time to acclimate yourself to daily reflection.

3. Research Potential Schools

By the time you start your senior year, you’ll want to have a solid idea of what your final application list will look like. You’ll still be making changes throughout the semester, but you need to start narrowing the process down.

The time to do the bulk of your researching and exploring will be during the summer that precedes the start of senior year. This is the time to visit college websites, join college mailing lists, take campus tours (either in person in possible, or virtually if necessary – read our tips here on how to research colleges during the pandemic and also five virtual college tours) and communicate with individuals familiar with the schools on your list (alums, admissions reps, and even current students).

Lastly, be sure to follow our tips here for how to research colleges.

4. Finalize Your Testing Plan

If you haven’t taken your tests yet (or if you are planning to retest) this is the time to nail down your strategy. Decide on your testing date (and mark it on your timeline!), develop your plan to address weaker areas, and figure out your prep plan. Do you plan to take a course? Work with a tutor? Self-study with a book?

If you make the decision to self study at home, you’re going to want to use real tests (read our tips here on how to find real SAT tests online)

5. Have Fun!

All things said, this will be one of your last simple summers. A year from now, you’ll be making plans for graduation and quite possibly moving away from home! This is a great time to spend time with family and friends. The final summer after your senior year of high school is a significant milestone in your life, don’t forget to enjoy it