Although summertime is a welcome break for most students from their high school education, it is a good time to make progress in planning for education beyond high school. During the summer before the senior year, there are several things students can do to help prepare for college applications in the fall. Listed below are some suggested activities related to college selection and the application process:

• Using resources available in the public library and the suggestions of family and friends, develop and expand your current list of schools to investigate. Summer is a good time to do the research you may not have found the time to do in the spring. Learn the competitive level of the different colleges, the entrance requirements and the difference between liberal arts and specialized majors.
• Try to visit colleges which are difficult to reach during the school year. Even though the regular students may not be present, you can still gain much information about the college environment that will help you make final selections about the schools to which you want to apply.
• Write letters or email to colleges in which you have an interest, requesting a catalog and any other desired information such as financial aid. Applications are usually available at the college website. Check to make sure it is a current application.
• Talk with older students who are home from colleges about which you want to learn more. They should have “first hand” knowledge to share.
• Review college entrance exam dates for the fall and mark them on a calendar with registration deadlines. (Deadline for registration for the first exam is soon after school starts in September.)
• If students have not scored as well on previous entrance exams as they would like, they may want to use the summer for individual preparation or for a SAT/ACT review course.
• Consider summer sources of character references such as employers, activity group leaders, coaches, etc. Ask these people for a reference during the summer so they will have time to prepare it by the fall. Students may want to identify one or two teachers they might ask for a teacher reference soon after the start of the school year.
• Begin a rough-draft list of activities and interests. Students might want to include extra-curricular activities, honors and awards, volunteer or work experience, travel or special interests. This information will eventually be sent to colleges and is often asked about during interviews.
• Try writing drafts of the types of essay questions most commonly found on applications. It helps to begin thinking of how you might respond to questions concerning books, career goals, and influential people in an applicant’s life, special interests, achievements and events of particular importance.