How to Prep for College Applications Over the Summer

5 things to do over the summer to prep for college applications

Summer is here, and high school students are excited to have a mental break from all the academic tasks they’ve been doing throughout the school year. Many students will choose to work on college applications over the summer so they can fully focus on their classroom material in the fall. This is a great idea because, when students try and tackle all of their college prep activities at once, it becomes overwhelming pretty quickly – Our Orange County private college admissions consultants are here to get you into your dream school.

1.  Get organized

The very first thing students should do is sit down and get organized. Some things that students need to do to apply to college successfully seems frustrating at best. There are an immense amount of things that have to get done to send out of college applications, but if students break it up into smaller tasks and get a little bit of help the process becomes manageable. Students who are well organized are more likely to complete this hurdle efficiently and still have a lot of time to just rest, relax, and enjoy the summer.

2.  Work with a college counselor

Students should work with their college counselor to help them navigate the college application process. Most high schools provide a college counselor to help students, but there are also private college counselors available to help walk students through the process. Whether students are using the Common Application or are applying directly to a smaller liberal arts college using the college’s specific guidelines, a college counselor makes the entire situation easier to manage.

3.  Raise those SAT scores

Many students take their SAT or ACT only to find out they were a few points short of what they were hoping for. Although test prep is a long and arduous process, it’s worth taking the test a second time to potentially get a better score and feel more secure about college applications. Summer is a great opportunity for students to concentrate on test prep with a private tutor and take the test again in the fall or winter.

4.  Work on the personal statement

The personal statement or essay is also essential to the college application process. This is where students have a chance to stand out from the crowd and be heard. Personal statements are also part of the holistic admissions process, meaning that the admissions committee looks at more than just grades and test scores. In fact, a great essay can easily make the difference between an acceptance and rejection. Summer provides an opportunity for students to concentrate fully on this important task without the distraction of other homework assignments (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: 5 Tips to Cope With Summer Stress).

5.  Apply for financial aid and scholarships

Many students forget to apply for financial aid or scholarships. Perhaps parents are going to pay for the bulk of a student’s tuition, or they simply haven’t thought about it. Many students don’t even realize they qualify for financial aid and could’ve ended up saving thousands of dollars over the four years. Additionally, there are tons of scholarships out there based solely on merit that can help students pay for part of their tuition, books and other fees, or even living expenses. Most of these scholarships range from $250 to $1,000, and students can apply for several scholarships at once. Life is a lot easier when students don’t have to work 20 or 30 hours a week just to make ends meet so investigating some different scholarships is an excellent use of a student’s time this summer.

The best way to prep for college applications over the summer is with the help of an experienced Orange County college admissions consultant. Our private consultants have a 97% success rate.

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