!! Junior Summer Checklist !!
Hello! I'm currently a junior and looking the last few weeks of my junior year before summer. From my understanding, this summer is supposed to be the busiest of them all! A little scared to say the least lol.
What I'm trying to say is what should I be doing to prepare my "resume" for colleges and increase my chances of having a 4 year offering me a spot at their university? I know that I should be writing my essays (also what how does that work???) but I'm wondering if there is more I can be doing? Looking for advice and open to anything that helped you guys!
I heard extracurricular activities are major (currently on varsity golf) and volunteering places like animal shelters are great for resumes. Turning to college vine because I'd love to hear what other people have to say about what helped them
Hey there! Junior here as well :)
As far as prepping your "resume," start collecting all the extracurricular activities, volunteer activities, jobs, awards, etc and begin creating descriptions for them. Use strong verbs (avoid using overused words like 'enjoy' or 'help') to show the full extent of the amazing things you have done!
As far as essay writing, begin brainstorming and practicing right now or as soon as school lets up enough. Your essay should make you stand out from any other applicant and share the depth of who you are or something fascinatingly distinct. There are many overused topics (like trips to underdeveloped countries, relisting all your ECs and accomplishments, family members, COVID, moving, mental health...) I will be creating a post sometime very soon on admission essay tips (wrote a post before but many people have requested more information since).
There is SO much you can do. If you are applying through the Common App, you can start anytime, even right now! Get familiar with the application and then begin to fill it in (this is where you will find the word counts for descriptions). Note: Create all descriptions in seperate documents or on a paper. The app sometimes erases what you have if you don't finish it completely or something like that. SuperTutorTV has some great Youtube videos on the Common App and admission essays.
Summer jobs can be a great way to prove your responsibility. Also, prep for/take the SAT/ACT for the last couple times. Even 50-100 points can increase your chances for scholarships.
Plan to visit colleges if you haven't already. I prefer to see the college in action (during the school year) but I know some people do not have the time for visits with homework and all. Narrow down your college list. Hopefully you already have an idea on which college is best for you. If not, start comparing, comparing, and finding as much info as you can!
Hope this helps and please lmk if you have any questions! Yes, summer after junior year is crazy but it is an exciting time.
Thank you so much!!
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