The Summer Before Senior Year: To-Do List

College app season really hits off in the summer (and not in the fall). Put the right foot forward with this suggested list of things to do the summer before your senior year!

1. Make a significant dent into those college app essays.
Most colleges release their supplemental prompts and essays during this time. Get on top of those so as to avoid procrastination during the school year! If most of your schools are through the Common Application, then it's probably in your best interest to prioritize that big one over the smaller ones. I'll have some advice about writing your college essays in a later post, so be on a lookout for that!

2. Get a job, internship, and/or some career-related experience.
Now that you shouldn't have to worry about standardized testing (more on that later), you can actually focus on earning money or gaining valuable experience and perspective on what you want to do in the future. For example, I got a job as a cashier at my local grocery store and made some decent money. Internships and job shadowing are also great ways to get some experience!

3. Finalize your college list.
You're reaching the finish line! Visit colleges early in the summer, do some research, cross out colleges, and/or add new ones. While choosing a college list is up to you entirely, I recommend that you go the conventional route of having at least one back up school that you really think you would like going to (I'm not saying you're going to end up there, but there's a chance you might, so might as well be happy with the decision).You don't want to still be figuring out where to apply when you have to worry about your school-related commitments as well!

4. Wrap up standardized testing.
If you're not happy with your scores from your junior year, continue studying for whatever needs to get done. No time for dilly-dallying! Those test scores need to be in tip-top shape! October is really the last time you can take them, so carpe diem, my friends!

5. Enjoy it.
Seriously, go watch a movie. Sleep in. Stay healthy. Work out. Eat well. Watch some TV on an actual TV, a computer, or your phone. You have one more year of high school. Might as well enjoy it.
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