<p>Ok, school just got out. If possible I would like to get a jump start on the whole visiting and applications preocess, but what can I do? I've only visited two schools thus far and have heard that summer visits are practically pointless, seeing as how campuses are missing one huge element...the students! Is it worth checking out schools that I'll probably apply to over the summer, or is it a better bet just to plan out those 8-10 visits for September-October weekends. Since I don't have a definite college list yet (several names but not 1 coherent list of say 7-10 schools), is it worth looking into their admissions essays, etc. and begin to write those; maybe just write the main essay for the common ap? For those of you who have been through this, is there anything you would have done the summer before senior so as to make senior year less hectic?</p>
<p>Since there's no big advantage to visiting during the summer (except for extra time) and you aren't certain about where you want to go, just relax. My biggest regret about the summer before senior year is that I spent it stressing about college...and in the fall I was no further along in applications than before. I didn't write any essays until mid-September and was finished well in time for the deadlines. I really regret that I spent all of my time worrying about applying for college, though...I think that (as the College Confidential boards disgustingly show) students and parents are much too obsessed with spending the students' lives obsessing about doing everything "right" for college, without letting themselves be teenagers. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is work on narrowing down your choices by doing some research...and then put all the college material away and relax.</p>