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School’s out for summer, now what?

Congratulations! You just successfully finished the school year! Unfortunately, if the year you just wrapped up was your junior year, you don’t get to rest for long. The college search process is an important and time consuming one. You want to minimize your stress at the beginning of senior year by getting a head start on things over the summer. Fall of senior year is a busy time, so you should start trying to get some things finished in advance. In this article, we will review a few tips for how to use your summer wisely.

First up: standardized tests. This is the first time that the SAT is being offered in August. That means that you can prepare for the test over the summer while you aren’t distracted by other school commitments. The first step is to review your results from the spring tests. Determine your weak areas and review them first. Over the years, the students who I have seen have the most success improving their scores have taken plenty of practice tests. Plan on taking these in addition to reviewing your weak areas in order to maximize your success.

The College Application

Next up: The application. You will want to work on your college application over the summer. The Common Application (www.commonapp.org) becomes available around August 1st. As soon as it is available, you should create an account and start filling out the application. Don’t worry – you don’t have to wait until August 1st to get to work! The essay topics are already out there, so you can go ahead and get started on those. The best writers rewrite their work. In order to present your best work, you will want to leave ample time for multiple drafts and feedback. In addition to the essays, you can organize the letters of recommendation. If you haven’t done so yet, start thinking about which teachers you are going to ask to write your letters of recommendation.

One of the reasons to be on top of your application is early decision/action deadlines. Studies have shown that applying early action or early decision improves your chances of being accepted. Those applications are due as early as November 1, so you will be submitting your application soon after you return to school. To make that date, you are going to need to plan in time not only to finish the application but also to visit the schools. Depending on your schedule and free time, you may want to visit these schools over the summer. In the best case scenario, you will visit the schools while they are in session. However, a summer visit is still much better than a non-visit.

Still, make sure that you don’t let the college application process take up all your time. Continue your community service or other activities. Get a summer job or internship. Finally, don’t forget to find some time to relax! Enjoy a trip to the beach or an amusement park, and take time away from the pressure of the college process. You will feel much more refreshed and able to put your best effort forward if you take the time to recenter yourself and blow off some steam.

While it does sound stressful, all your hard work will be rewarded. By getting a head start, you will save yourself headaches in the fall and give yourself plenty of options in the end. Interested in hearing more tips on how to prepare for the SAT and college applications? Check out our new podcast! http://www.firstchoicecollege.com/college-tips-podcast-episode-1/