What You Do This Summer Could Be Your College Essay
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As the calendar turns—and even as temperatures dip ridiculously low—summer will be here before you know it. In fact, right now, many of the best summer programs are already starting to fill up.
So why am I talking about summer when we’re still deep in winter?
Because what you do with your summer can have a powerful impact on two things that matter a lot:
- how compelling your college application becomes, and
- how much you grow as a person before you ever set foot on a college campus.
Let’s start with college admissions.
In today’s ultra-competitive landscape, it’s not unusual for 90%+ of applicants at a given school to have nearly identical academic credentials—strong GPAs, solid test scores, similar course rigor. When that’s the case, what actually moves the needle are the stories students can tell about how they’ve spent their time, what they’ve explored, and what they’ve learned about themselves.
And very often, those stories come from summer.
Whether it’s a research program, leadership experience, service project, creative pursuit, internship, or even a meaningful job, summer experiences give context to who you are beyond the classroom. They give admissions officers something human, specific, and memorable to connect with. And when you have about 12 minutes—that’s the average time an admissions counselor spends reviewing your entire application—you need every advantage you can get.
But here’s the part families sometimes overlook:
Summer isn’t just about looking good on paper. It’s about growth.
Paid employment absolutely counts. So does helping with family responsibilities, starting a small business, volunteering, or diving deep into an academic or creative interest. These experiences build confidence, independence, communication skills, and self-awareness—exactly the traits colleges hope students will bring to campus, and exactly the traits students need to thrive once they get there.
Now, I know that for many of you, college may still feel far away. But if you’re already in high school—or even entering next fall—it’s closer than you think. And while it can be hard to see around corners, the good news is that there are ways to explore options and start planning without pressure.
This coming Sunday, February 1, I’ll be attending a national Pre-College Summer Program Fair where families can learn about a wide range of academic, leadership, enrichment, and career-exploration opportunities. This program is held at various locations across the country (and on Sunday, in Miami). If you have a student entering or already in high school, I highly recommend that you check out the link below to learn more about this important gathering.
👉 https://www.summerprogramfair.com/
In addition, we previously teamed up with two of the leading organizations in youth leadership development, experiential learning, and global service travel to host a webinar on how to use summer intentionally to build both skills and a strong college narrative. If you missed it, you can still watch the recording here:
👉 https://yourcollegeconcierge.com/webinars/
(The video is titled “How to Invest in Summer to Build a Better College Resume”)
The bottom line is simple:
Summer doesn’t need to be packed with prestige to be powerful. It just needs to be intentional.
When students use summer to explore who they are and what they care about, the college application becomes a reflection of real growth—not just a list of activities. And that’s what ultimately helps students stand out in a sea of strong applicants.
If you’d like help thinking through what kind of summer experience might make sense for your student, we’re always happy to talk.
Stay warm (for now),
Peter
Your College Concierge
P.S. In case you missed it: High school course selection is in full force. I know it can feel like an administrative task—but it’s actually a strategic one. And most families don’t realize which decisions matter most until it’s too late to change them. Check out our most recent blog post with great tips on how to make informed choices about your child’s HS class schedule.
