Summer Before Senior Year

The summer between your junior and senior years in high school is the most crucial for defining and realizing your future goals. Here are some things to pursue and keep in mind during the summer as you prepare for your last year of high school!

1. Visit your colleges:  Before you start your senior year, you will want to visit each of the colleges that interest you. These can be through individual tours or through Open Houses put on by the college. Senior year becomes busy quickly, so having already visited those universities while you're applying will help save time. Also, a college visit helps you see if you really want to apply and potentially enroll in that college, so this is an essential time to do that. 
2. Retake your exams: If you need to retake Regents exams, other state tests, or even SAT or ACT tests, the summer is a great time to do so. You have time to study and focus on the aspects of the tests you didn't do well on previously. 
3. Brainstorm your recommenders: Think about which teachers, bosses, and mentors you may want to write your letters of recommendation for college applications. Think about those people who have seen you succeed or overcome obstacles and those who have had opportunities to see your personality outside of the school setting. 
4. Find a job: If you have yet to have a summer job, this is the ideal time to have one. This can be a job at a local ice cream shop, in an office where your parents work, or even working on a farm. It would be great for it to belong in the same field that you hope to work in, however that is not always necessary. (My first real summer job was working at my high school cleaning classrooms, lockers, furniture, and cleaning up the elementary school's playgrounds. Although I did not want to become a custodian or a landscaper, the contacts I made with the administrators, helped secure a positive experience in school throughout my junior and senior year.)
5. Enjoy your time: This is one of your last summers at home, so enjoy spending time with your family and your friends. Follow your passions and make amazing memories with everyone in your life. Senior year can be stressful for most students, so relaxing and enjoying time beforehand will help focus your thoughts for the upcoming school year!

This is the time where you begin to follow the path towards your future and the successes you desire. Use this time to forge that path of dreams!

enjoy the chase, 

skylar