Top 10 Things Rising Seniors Can Do This Summer to Get a Jump on the College Search

Get a jump on your college search the summer before your senior year of high school!

1. Complete your Common Application.

The Common Application is accepted by hundreds of colleges and is a great place to start. If you know you’ll be applying to colleges that do not accept the Common App, such as the University of California system schools, you can work on them as well, using the Common App as a prototype.

2. Write your Common Application personal essay.

Applying for college can take up as much time as a regular class during your senior year. By preparing a personal essay in advance that can be tailored to different applications, you can spend more time on studies and extracurricular activities once school begins.

3. Collect reference letters.

Normally reference letters come from junior year teachers who have taught you for the last full year. Teachers usually appreciate having the extra time over the summer to write a reference when the memory of the student’s achievements is fresh.

4. Visit (or plan to visit) campuses.

While summer is not the ideal time to visit campuses because there aren’t many students there, this is the time high school students are free and parents’ schedules are usually more flexible. These visits can also be made in the early fall and should include sitting in on a class, looking at the dorm rooms, eating in the cafeteria, and meeting with coaches and professors in areas of interest.

5. Develop preliminary list of colleges.

Review college websites, the Fiske Guide, student review sites like Niche.com, and other sources of information you’ve found helpful so far. Create a list of colleges to consider. The goal is a balanced list that includes good-fit target schools along with some reaches and “likelies.”

6. Participate in interesting activities.

Summer is a time to act on interests through internships, volunteer work, clubs, or paid positions. Try something productive and creative, preferably in an area of interest.

7. Keep a summer journal.

A journal can help you chronicle your activities and determine what you want and need for the next few years. Journals also serve to help your improve communication skills, critical for later success.

8. Plan to take a final SAT or ACT if needed.

Rising seniors should have taken SATs and ACTs at least once by this point but may want to take a final test in the summer or fall. Sign up early to ensure you get a seat at a nearby location. You should establish a preparation plan for a least a month or two before the exam date.

9. Begin scholarship search.

Use web-based services to begin a search for private scholarships. Fastweb.com is one free search platform that provides access to a consolidated database of available scholarships.

10. READ!

IECA experts point to reading as the best way to improve your vocabulary and prepare for standardized tests. While reading, have a dictionary handy to look up unfamiliar words.

Source: nationwide survey of IECA member independent educational consultants