Junior summer bucketlist

Hey, junior here too!

My bucketlist:

Write LOTS of essays. Brainstorm unique and fascinating essays you can write based on the prompts for the schools you are interested in. Have a couple different 'paths' or drafts of different ways you could respond to that prompt. And if you have time, write your admissions essays! It is not good to cram them into a couple weeks...give yourself time to rewrite and reedit menay times. I started my essays for a scholarship in late January, put them away for a bit, and then when I came back in early March, I had fresh ideas and more critque of unnecessary words/phrases. It is a life saver! Writing essays for scholarships is also super helpful as well which leads to #2.

Assess/plan finances. Are there scholarships the schools offer that you may qualify for? Are there external scholarships you can apply to (avoid easy one-click no-essay wonders...find essays that require something from you AND narrower specifics, like the major or a hobby you have. Less competition, the better. and don't shy away from small scholarships. They do add up later!) Do you want to start working a job? Will you have any family assistance? Make a plan. You will likely have loans to pay and it's better to start prepping early.

Stay sharp. Read LOTS of books. Do a little studying to be ready for a strong finish with senior year (senior year DOES matter!) Develop good study habits, as well as personal habits...your roommates in college dorm will thank you for it! prep yourself for people with different styles (maybe they play loud music or maybe they sleep with/without the light on...you know, habits).

Prep/take last standardized tests. Higher scores=better scholarships and higher chance of acceptance.

Pursue your passion. Find ways to dive into the career RIGHT NOW. Eg, I love horticulture/gardening/floral design. I will be taking some professional floral classes and maintaining a HUGE garden, which are all things that will prove my interest in the major on my application.

Request letters of recommendation (closer to end of August-September depending on when you can apply).

Stay busy. Rest up for senior year, the last lap of the race, but it is a good idea to stay active through EC's, jobs, passion projects, or internships.

If you haven't done so already, sign up for emails from the colleges you want to apply to. I visited a college this spring to see it in action, but summer can be a time for college visits (recommend early fall instead...important to experience the vibe when students are there). If you have any questions, start emailing/calling the admissions counselor. Get plugged in!

That's all I can think of rn...hope it was helpful!

Aside from being generally productive (i.e. internships, jobs, projects), the biggest piece of advice I've received from seniors is to start writing essays. It seems that if you do anything this summer, essays should be that thing.