Three ways 9th and 10th graders can spend their summers

Parents often ask me what their early high school students should do over the summer, especially now that it’s May and summer program deadlines have largely passed.

The good news is, students do not need an expensive or prestigious summer program to have a meaningful summer from a college admissions perspective. Here are some ways students can spend their time:

Volunteering

Colleges often value students who care deeply about causes greater than themselves. Some colleges’ applications ask students to write about times they worked with people different from themselves, and one way for kids to get this experience is to volunteer. The experiences can be simple: stocking items at a food pantry, serving customers at a pet shelter, shelving books at the library, and more.

Visiting colleges

The summers after 9th and 10th grades are great times to begin touring nearby colleges. This can give kids a sense of what a big versus small school feels like and can make it easier to decide which colleges to apply to later on. At some colleges, demonstrated interest can play a role in admissions decisions.

Preparing for the SAT/ACT

Summer can be a great time for students to get ahead on preparing for the SAT or ACT before junior or senior year get busy. I generally recommend that students achieve the score they want by the end of junior year so that they can focus on their application essays over the summer and fall of senior year.

In short, summers can be used strategically for admissions, even if the opportunities are not "prestigious."