I know juniors have a full plate. With SAT/ACT prep, an AP, IB, Honors or Regular academic workload, leadership positions in clubs or on teams, most juniors are busy being juniors.
Still, time moves quickly.
Here are a few ideas to plant seeds for a constructive yet fun-filled rising senior summer that can align with your student’s interests while providing material for college application essays next fall:
Summer Jobs
Some of my students are forthright about their need or desire to earn money during the summer. I’m a HUGE fan of jobs that pay: retail, hospitality, childcare, sports-related (waterfront supervision or education, soccer camps, golf caddying, among many others), lawncare — the list goes on. Besides incentivizing high schoolers, jobs offer students the opportunity to work alongside people who may be older with different responsibilities, lives and stories to share. This on-the-ground education isn’t only illuminating to most teenagers, it also gives college applicants “content” to share in their essays.
Summer Internships
One student told me he wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. However, after Day One of shadowing a doctor who was performing a knee replacement – and allowing this student to watch – the student was ready to pivot his career track! Having the privilege of spending time on a trading floor, in an OR or behind the scenes with a film producer enables high schoolers to dip their toes in worlds they’ve witnessed on TV, heard about or imagined yet have never experienced first-hand. I encourage students to ask their families, teachers, mentors or friends for suggestions on where they can spend a week or two in vocational settings for careers they might want to pursue.
Edification
“Edify yourself this summer!” I said to one junior. “What’s edify mean?” he asked. I explained, “To edify is to improve or broaden yourself: learn a new skill, deepen your knowledge about an academic subject you love or get a certificate in an area that might enhance your future career track.” This junior was a lifer at his sleep away camp and I wanted to push him out of his comfort zone. So, in addition to spending the summer as a camp counselor (which was a new leadership position for him!), he edified himself by taking an online class studying Greek.
The summer is long. I push my students to make the most of it: pack in money-making, workplace immersion and self-improvement. Oh, and tour colleges, draft essays and get excited to become SENIORS!
OCT