4 Ways to Productively Spend Your Summers
Top schools want to see you proactively keeping yourself busy in some productive fashion
Ah, summer vacation at last! Time for family barbecues, pool parties, and…working on something to further strengthen your candidacy in college applications? As crazy as anything other than rest and relaxation during those precious weeks away from school may sound, top schools want to see you proactively keeping yourself busy in some productive fashion, even when you don’t have to be productive. This paints you as a self-starter who will be more likely to actively contribute to your school community outside of the classroom. Top universities are great places for people unsatisfied with normalcy or “just being average.” And people unsatisfied with these things tend to devote at least a part of their summer vacations to going above and beyond the “average” of rest and relaxation. Not that rest and relaxation are bad — in fact, a dose is quite important to help you recharge after a stressful school year. But there are many additional things you can do to supplement your summers and stand out to colleges.
Go to a summer camp to learn something new, or build on something you’re already good at. Many colleges and universities have programs ranging from 1 week to the entirety of summer. In some, you’ll enroll with peer students in an intensive professor-lead course, which is specifically tailored toward high schoolers. In others, while you may live in dormitories with fellow students your age, you’ll take actual university summer courses alongside college students who are on campus for summer semester. Typically, both these styles are residential programs, where your RAs are college students who will lead activities for you in the afternoons and on weekends. Such experiences can be an excellent way to take a class in something that interests you (but maybe isn’t offered at your school), to meet students from around the world, and to get a taste of what being on a college campus is actually like.
A handful of schools also place an emphasis on “demonstrated interest” in evaluating applications — that is, if they were to admit you, has your level of interest so far indicated that you would likely accept the spot? Attending a summer program at one of these schools can be an excellent way to show interest there. Finally, note that the majority of these camps do offer scholarships and/or financial aid.
Pursue your passion for music or sports. If you’re part of an athletic team, you might have summer training. This is an excellent way to stay engaged with your hobbies and passions. If you love your sport and this shines through in your application, spending time pursuing it over the summer will further demonstrate how important it is to you, and this certainly qualifies as a great and productive way to spend your summer. If music is more your thing, then that is also a great thing to pursue! Work towards a recital, go to competitions, compose a song, or even pick up a new instrument. If you have a dedicated goal, this will help you stay on track and will serve as a concrete achievement which you can easily include in your applications. If the idea of camps above intrigues you, but you’d rather spend your time in a less academic setting, then you’ll be happy to know that many universities offer both sports and music summer camps which are structurally quite similar to those above!
Have a job. As unglamorous as it may be, working at a cashier or in a restaurant is an excellent way to spend time, gain valuable skills in interacting with customers, and earn some extra money. Having a job reinforces positive habits, like punctuality and communication, which will serve you well later in life. The extra cash you’ll earn can certainly be valuable as well — whether you plan to help out your family, save it for college, or splurge on a new car to congratulate yourself on graduating high school in a couple years, having a job is time well spent. After all, you’ll have one eventually, so why not start now to see what it might be like and avoid the boredom that can come with not having anything to do?
Volunteer in your community. Maybe you like the idea of working on something other than personal development (as in, through academic camps or sports or music), but the idea of serving burgers isn’t quite up your alley either. Volunteering is a great way to fill this desire. You’re actively helping others around you, giving back to your community, and keeping yourself busy. The vast majority of organizations which depend on volunteers are always happy to have more — search around and find something that interests you, whether at the animal shelter or local soup kitchen. Or, if you see an unfilled need, you can even start your own organization!
Finally, I want to reiterate that, while all these can help you stand out as a student who spends summers productively, they should never be a substitute for winding down, recharging, and spending time with friends. As with everything in life, there is a proper balance to strike. After all, if you and your high school friends are parting ways after graduation, summers are some of the best time to make lasting memories with them. Don’t short yourself this time because you feel like you “have to” cram your summer with as much of the above as possible. As long as you choose something which is productive, which interests you, and which doesn’t burden your physical or mental health on account of being too demanding, your summers can simultaneously serve to improve your college application and to give you that relaxing vacation you deserve after another year of school.
This blog is written by James, who is a content creator at Mascot. James studies Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University.
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