Maximizing Your Summer

Summer is an important time to relax and reset, but it is also a crucial time for high school students of all grades to plan and power ahead. Unless you use your summer wisely, you may find yourself time-poor and less effective in the school year ahead. What if you haven’t had time to make a plan? We have you covered. Follow the steps below to optimize your summer:

Get a jump start on challenging subjects 

Summer is a great time to prepare for the rigors of the upcoming school year. If you are starting a new language, consider an online course or finding a local native speaker as a conversation “buddy.” If you’re taking advanced maths or physics or content-heavy courses such as geography, it's a great time to familiarize yourself with the syllabus and begin to master complex topics. 

SAT and ACT Prep

If you are applying to the US or Europe, or if you are applying to the UK with an American curriculum high school diploma and less than three APs, you’ll likely need the SAT or ACT. The best type of test prep depends on your grade and the math content covered in your curriculum.  

Rising Grade 10/Year 11 students should work their way through the Khan Academy SAT Math Prep course and should dedicate time to learning SAT vocabulary. If you have the time and ambition to work on test-taking techniques, you may want to enroll in online preparation courses. 

Rising Grade 11/Year 12 students should sit both ACT and SAT diagnostics to determine if they have a natural aptitude for one test versus the other. Summer is the best time to undertake structured study for your standardized test. Your Ivy Options counselor can help devise a personalized plan, such as private tutoring with one of our testing advisors, as well as recommend boot camps and other online resources. 

Volunteer

This is a great way to build your resume and a good way to demonstrate how you have used your passion and skills to improve a community or support a cause. As a Grade 9 or 10 student, it's great to start with local organizations such as pet shelters, food banks, care homes, and environmental agencies. Try to find something related to an area you may want to study at university. If you’re interested in real estate investment, perhaps get involved in a local housing shelter, or if you want to study mechanical engineering, consider volunteering at a bike repair clinic. Rising grade 11 students should look at city, national, and even international organizations to show growth and increasing impact and involvement.

Research

Whether you are applying to the US or the UK, conducting research is a great way to explore an academic interest, compare different fields of study, and show an ability to learn independently. Younger high school students can find “citizen scientists” projects mapping constellations, observing migratory birds, or taking water samples. Municipal or regional museums or preservation societies may also relish the opportunity to have enthusiastic, computer-savvy helpers working on bite-size research projects over the summer. Older students may want to formally complete an independent research project through programs offered by companies like Lumiere, Immerse Education, or Pioneer Academics. Alternatively, utilize your family, school, or other networks to help you find Ph.D. students or professors willing to include you on a funded project or mentor you on an independent project. 

Personal Achievement or Personal Project

Younger students may choose to use their summers to meet a personal goal. Examples could include: achieving a first aid certification so you can be a team medic the following year; cycling or hiking a certain distance, or mastering a particularly difficult piece of music or dance. Older students should focus on a personal project that showcases the skills needed to succeed in a particular course, such as financial acumen or prototyping abilities. Ideally, the project would culminate in a tangible output: research paper, presentation with recommendations, or the launch of an initiative that can benefit a cause or community.

Read, Listen, Write

Additionally, it’s important to plan a summer media diet. This should include books (check out Ivy Options Bookshelf), research papers, blogs, live and pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, and mini-courses. Keep a journal when reading the material. Take note of your insights: has this experience challenged a belief or has it inspired you to learn more? These observations will be incredibly helpful when you write Common App/UCAS statements and supplemental essays, or prepare for interviews. 

The most important aspect of a successful summer is to go into it with a plan! If you have eight weeks, allot up to 25 percent of your time, or two weeks, for rest and relaxation. Ideally, your downtime would be interspersed throughout the summer to act as an incentive. Think carefully about how you want to spend your downtime and with whom. Maximize your summer – your future self will thank you!