Academic Tip of the Month – The Importance of Summer Academic Enrichment
- karen3915
- Dec 15, 2025
- 2 min read
There’s no avoiding the fact that the college landscape has become very competitive, so students who are shooting for selective schools must use their summers to their advantage. While it can be tempting to have a lazy summer doing absolutely nothing but catch up on mind-numbing TV, you might want to think about keeping your brain working throughout the summer months. There are a multitude of options available, but here are a few of my top choices:
Taking a summer course at your local community college Community college courses are a great way to demonstrate your continued interest in a subject and determination to take a more rigorous course. Are you an aspiring accountant? Maybe an Intro to Finance course would be a good option. Do you dream of owning your own business one day? See if your local community college offers an Intro to Business course. Not only do you get to explore something you are interested in doing, but you could potentially earn credit towards your 4-year degree!
Enrolling in a residential summer course at a college or university This is an excellent option for students who already have a major in mind and would like to dive even deeper. At the same time, you also get a chance to live on campus in the residence halls, get to know professors, and essentially live the life of a college student. Examples of such programs include: Architecture – Cal Poly SLO International Relations – Georgetown Univ. Engineering – University of Southern California Pre-College at Brown University There are many, many more options available to you, so start looking!
Getting a job or volunteering with an organization that aligns with your priorities Whether it’s working at a local YMCA summer camp or scooping ice cream, work experience tells schools a lot about your responsibility, maturity, and proactivity. If you are too young to get a real job, consider volunteering with a community organization. Take a look at VolunteerMatch.org and click “Teens” to filter options for your age group. There are bound to be plenty of groups that could use your help!
Juniors – the last couple of months of test prep are upon us! If you need help raising your score, contact our preferred provider, Arbor Bridge – email Sara@ArborBridge.com to get set up with a free consultation today!
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