Summer between junior and senior year is the most strategically important break in the college admissions timeline. It’s the last extended window you have to build your profile before applications open in August. Here’s what we tell our students to prioritize.

1. Lock in your college list

By the end of summer, you should have a working list of 8–12 schools sorted into reach, target, and likely tiers. Visit campuses if you can — demonstrated interest matters at schools that track it. If travel isn’t feasible, attend virtual info sessions and take notes. Admissions officers notice when a student references specific programs in their essays.

2. Start your Common App personal statement

Don’t wait for school to start. Draft at least two different essay angles over the summer and get feedback from someone who knows you well — a teacher, counselor, or advisor. The personal statement is the single most important piece of writing in your application, and it needs multiple revision cycles to land.

3. Pursue one meaningful activity — not five shallow ones

Admissions committees can spot resume padding from a mile away. Instead of signing up for three new clubs, go deep on one thing that genuinely matters to you. Launch a project, lead a research effort, volunteer consistently with the same organization. Depth beats breadth every time.

4. Prep for standardized tests (if you’re taking them)

If your target schools are test-required or test-flexible and your score would help, summer is the time to prep seriously. Take a full-length diagnostic, identify your weak areas, and build a study plan. Two focused months of prep is worth more than six months of sporadic practice.

5. Reflect on your story

Colleges want to understand who you are beyond the transcript. Spend some time this summer thinking about the themes that connect your activities, interests, and experiences. What drives you? What would you bring to a campus community? This self-reflection will fuel every essay you write in the fall. The students who use summer intentionally arrive at senior year with momentum. The ones who don’t spend September scrambling. Start now.