Hello I am a freshman, and I am wondering. What to do during my summer in order to improve my admissions chances in an elite school.
At this point, get a job. Or perhaps there’s some voluntarism you’d like to explore. Just don’t sit around all summer. Maybe do some ACT/SAT prep book and practice tests.
Do things that are interesting and important to you. Take some down time to relax and daydream; great new ideas come from those moments of reflection. Get off of your iPhone, read books, take walks, explore your own thoughts. If you are too young to get a real summer job, odd jobs in the neighborhood are a great way to learn more about people and the world. Stressing about elite schools now may rob you of the curiosity and the interesting personal qualities that such schools seek in their students.
Our freshman son will be refereeing local travel soccer games to make some money and show work experience. He will also be training on his school’s cross country team, taking art class, and volunteering with underprivileged kids in a neighboring community. Studying for the PSAT is a good idea. He will take the test as a “practice” in the fall at school. Plenty of time to hang out with friends still available to him!
It is a mistake to live a life that is geared to crafting that perfect college application. The top schools have admittance rates of under 10% so even if you spend four years creating that ideal application, there is no assurance at all that you will get in. So live your life! Do something that interests you this summer! You can get a job, work at a camp, volunteer for a cause you believe in, do a summer program in something that piques your interest (if affordable) etc.
As some concrete examples of things you can do, my S worked at a camp for special needs children and my D spent one summer volunteering for the director of a non-profit organization that she was involved in through the HS and she did an internship program at a zoo one summer. Both actively sought out opportunities in their own interests.
I didn’t mean to craft a perfect summer. Our son was on cross country as a freshman. They always practice over summer. He’s been taking art class with the same teacher since fourth grade. And, he discovered his volunteering opportunity during freshman year. He loves hanging with the younger kids and trying to make a difference so he looked for that kind of opportunity over the summer. I totally agree that summers are for finally having the time to do what you like without having to do homework!
My sophomore year summer I volunteered, trained for my sport, and took college classes.