You are probably thinking about the College App cycle…thinking this is something you do in the fall.
But in the fall you will be taking the toughest courses of your academic career and usually having leadership activities in your ECs…if you do the steps below you will be so happy you have all the grunt work out of the way for college apps.
So this summer, do the following:
Make a list of all your ECs, when you did them, about how many hours a week, and descriptions.
You only get 10 slots for ECs on common app, so start categorizing them. Like you may want to categorize all music ECs together, or split them up somewhat.
Make sure to mention what leadership you have in those ECs, even if not a formal position…and talk about what you did as a leader.
Choose a Common App essay prompt
Write a draft of your essay this summer. Give it to your GC/English teacher to review in the fall.
If you haven’t already, choose who you want to ask to write recommendations for you. If your major is STEM, ask a Math and a science teacher.
See what your HS Guidance office wants you to do for college apps…(look on their website)…Do they want you to complete a brag sheet or something else to help the GC?
Visit some local colleges…like your State flagship, a smaller private school…see what you like and don’t like about them. Or take a trip and visit more schools.
Come up with a list of what you want in a college…major, location, urban/rural, size, etc etc
Based on that, use Naviance, Supermatch (here on CC), Fiske Guide, etc to come up with a list of colleges
Find out from your parents how much they can spend on college each year
Run the Net Price Calculator on those colleges to see if they are affordable
Try to visit some of those colleges over the summer if possible if you haven’t already
DO NOT APPLY TO A SCHOOL YOU WOULDN’T ATTEND. Also known as “Love thy Safety”. Pick your Safety first. I don’t know how many stories I read about people who didn’t get into an of their reaches and what they thought were matches and are only accepted to the safety and have a fit…find one that you like.
Yes this seems like a lot of work…but imagine doing it when you have classes and ECs too!
As a recently graduated senior, can confirm do these things. I worked on some ACT prep and my common app stuff. Made senior year pretty enjoyable after November since I was applying early. Spring was pretty relaxing lol.
Don’t slack off though. Still worked to keep straight A’s senior year. Senioritis is real and I seen it happen to friends pretty hard. Stay focused, but have fun!
@vandygoalz They are actually already out! They are the same as the 2017-18 essays:
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
@bopper I’m only a rising junior, but still, thank you very much for this thread! I think this will be very helpful for many others and me in the future, alongside current rising seniors. It’s very detailed! I feel this should be stickied.
Seconded! I did everything on that last up to #10 already, and I can say it helped immensely for dealing with stress, at least during this summer (senior year starts in a week!) If you’re a senior, following this list will definitely help.