5 Things Rising Seniors (high school) should do over the summer:

1. Continue to prepare for the SAT/ACT late summer and fall administrations - Many schools will continue to be test optional, but not all schools have yet said what their policies will be for the class of 2022. Even if the school is test optional for admissions, SAT/ACT scores may be used for scholarships or Honors College admission.

2. Review the recent school year, and organize for the next. Save your best graded work as some schools ask for a graded essay as part of the application package. Check your transcript. Is everything correct and listed as you were expecting?

3. Start on your main application essay (also referred to as the personal statement). Colleges want to know what makes you different from the other millions of teenagers in your class who have comparable transcripts. What have you done that's a little different? What was really memorable to you? It doesn't have to be a large or important event, just something that impacted you in a meaningful way.

4. Visit colleges - Start with local colleges to see what a small liberal arts school feels like, as compared to a large research university. What does an urban campus (GW, VCU, NYU) feel like when compared to a self-contained, more residential campus (Univ of Richmond, Christopher Newport, Sweet Brier).

5. Get out and do something with other people - Everyone has had plenty of online education. If there is an online class you're excited about, go for it! But also get out of your house - get a job, volunteer, organize a hiking trip or a road trip, go kayaking, whatever. Keep your body active as well as your mind.

Have a great summer!

5 Things Rising Juniors (high school) should do over the summer