Make sure you find time to relax this summer but also remain productive, active and interested… exercise, read, visit campuses while traveling, keep a journal, develop a hobby and collaborate on something meaningful.

Below are 10 ways to enjoy summer and do college prep:

1. Learn about community service and internship opportunities in your area that are in your field of interest. Talk to other students and adults to see if they have additional ideas. Network with those you know.

2. Stay involved in extracurricular activities. Just select a few that tie in with your interests – Do things you like and stick with it – depth and continuity are impressive on a college application. Volunteer, but not with too many organizations.

3. Start researching colleges by visiting, attending information sessions, reviewing websites, attending college fairs and getting on college mailing lists. While attending local college fairs, find some that appeal to you. Start considering criteria such as academic programs, location, cost, and size of school, retention rate, campus life and housing.

4. The Common Application has already released their essay prompts for the 2019-20 application season. So, get started as soon as possible. Most students develop a list of 10-12 colleges and many are on the Common Application. With additional writing supplements, students can expect to write 15 essays or more depending on where they apply.

Common Application 2019-2020 Essay Prompts – You will need to select one and write up to a 650 word essay.

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

5. Create your Common Application account here: http://www.commonapp.org

6. Begin finalizing your college list. Discuss what criteria are important in selecting colleges. Once you have a working list, you can determine how many essays you will need to write and focus on the specific requirements for each college.

7. Begin following your schools of interest on their social media channels. This will keep you remain current on events and any changes to application requirements.

8. Brainstorm a list of essay topic ideas. https://college-connections.com/what-make-a-great-college-essay/

9. Be aware of any newly released supplemental essay writing prompts. Some colleges will wait until later in the summer to release their prompts.

So… you can enjoy summer — do go to the beach, meet with friends and have some lazy days!

Students can begin their Common App early by rolling over their account https://www.commonapp.org/rollover

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