We may all be thinking of where to buy the perfect winter coat or where to travel during the chilly winter months, but summer will be here before we know it—and now is the time for you and your children to prepare for the highly anticipated break.
While summer is a time for relaxing and socializing, it is also a critical moment for students as they look ahead to applying to college. At IvyWise, former deans and directors of admission work closely with each student to develop a personalized road map for their high school experience—including the summer breaks.
U.S. colleges review applications holistically, considering hard factors, like grades and test scores, and soft ones, like essays and extracurricular activities, during the school year and summer break. Colleges want to see students have productive summers, so it’s key for students to choose summer plans wisely and make sure they relate to their interests and goals.
At IvyWise, our college admissions counselors bring a wealth of insider knowledge, as they have all made admissions decisions and understand the intricacies of enrollment management. They know precisely how students’ applications—and summer experiences—are evaluated by each college’s rubric. This unique expertise allows us to offer your child invaluable guidance, tailored to make their application stand out. Our counselors are supported by a dedicated research team that stays on the pulse of the latest summer programs, online courses, reading materials and emerging opportunities for students to deepen their interests. With IvyWise, your child will gain access to transformative experiences that will elevate their growth and academic profile—ensuring they stand out, stay ahead of the curve and are fully prepared for their college journey.
IvyWise counselors help students maximize every moment of high school and summer break, guiding them to authentically develop their interests as their college application cycle gets closer.
Their advice is tailored for each student and may look something like:
Grade 9: Most summer programs at colleges are only open for older students, so students in grade 9 should be creative in exploring their interests on their own. They can demonstrate initiative by creating an activity or bringing back a former club at their high school that became inactive. Our team is highly skilled at suggesting impactful activities that are tailored to each student’s unique interests.
One younger IvyWise student worked with an IvyWise tutor over the summer to develop an artificial intelligence-powered business and math tutoring app that she is now using during the school year for learning, studying and even connecting with her fellow classmates to help them achieve their academic goals.
Grade 10: This is a great time for students to work on a purpose project. You may have heard of “passion projects,” which has been a buzzy phrase in the college admissions landscape the past few years. We prefer to use the term “purpose projects,” because these projects should have a larger purpose for the student and a huge impact on others, rather than just serving to improve their college applications. An IvyWise student who is currently attending Duke University was inspired by her brother, who is affected by an intellectual disability, to create an educational anti-bullying program over the summer. She presented it to local fourth and fifth graders once the school year resumed.
At IvyWise, we work with students to develop purpose projects to help them dive deeper into their passions, become specialists in their fields of interests, and complete something tangible to include with their college applications, be it a research paper, artwork portfolio or computer program. This past summer, an IvyWise student combined his interests in music and math by researching tempos and other data points for popular songs. He is continuing his research throughout the school year, and his IvyWise counselor is guiding him to highlight his findings as he applies to music production internship positions.
Grade 11: Internships are an excellent opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience, enhance their skill set, and network in their future industry. IvyWise counselors guide students to brainstorm their goals, navigate the application process, and be creative when seeking opportunities. Our counselors also support students as they prepare for their internships so they can make as strong of an impact as possible in their role. For example, one IvyWise student developed valuable skills by interning as a researcher with the performance analysis team of his favorite Major League Soccer team. He is now studying applied mathematics and economics at Brown University.
Certain summer programs at colleges allow students to show their interest in and aptitude for a specific field, while also giving them a peek into college life. Programs are offered in a wide variety of subjects, as well as in different lengths, formats and levels. While deadlines can start as early as January, many programs remain open through late spring and even early summer, so there’s still time to explore. Thoughtful research, guided by an IvyWise counselor, ensures your child finds the perfect fit—uncovering opportunities they might not have discovered on their own and setting them up for a transformative summer that aligns with their academic and personal goals.
For example, one IvyWise student is interested in extreme weather, so his counselor guided him to attend Hurricane Academy, a great-fit summer program at the University of Miami. The in-depth experience studying atmospheric science furthered his interest in the field and helped him stand out in the admissions process and earn an acceptance at his top choice, the University of Michigan, where he is currently pursuing a major in climate and meteorology.
Grade 12: While the class of 2025 might be finished with applications and early applicants might even have acceptances in hand already, it’s important that students don’t fall victim to senioritis. Students should close out the year by achieving strong grades and staying engaged in their extracurricular activities. After graduation, they should use the summer months to plan for college by researching courses and clubs of interest, reading research and papers by their future professors, and completing all preassigned tasks well ahead of the deadlines.
Summer plans to avoid:
•Long vacations and short community service experiences, which are usually not impactful. More selective schools want to see commitment and quality, and meaningful experiences that last at least four weeks.
•Camp should end in eighth grade. The exception would be competitive sports or specialty camps like math, science, etc.
•Teen tours or short language “immersion” programs—touring a country for a few weeks is a vacation. Even two weeks of community service in Latin America does not compare to a student who spends an entire summer in Africa or India helping Indigenous populations secure microfinance loans.
For parents of middle schoolers and younger kids, don’t let this summer slip away as just another season of lounging by the pool or at the beach! While colleges won’t review what your child did over their earlier summers, this break offers an invaluable opportunity to nurture their passions and start shaping their path forward. It’s the perfect time for young minds to dive deeply into interests that can spark a lifelong curiosity—whether it’s reading a diverse range of books, exploring local museums or immersing themselves in sports or cultural events. At IvyWise, we understand the importance of these formative years. Our counselors guide students through meaningful, introspective sessions, helping them uncover their strengths and interests, so they can enter high school with a clear, focused vision for their future.
Contact IvyWise today to build a personalized college prep strategy that is manageable and will maximize your child’s chances of admissions success. It is never too early—or too late—to start working with IvyWise’s experts. Call 212.262.3500 or email inquiries@ivywise.com to get started.
Dr. Kat Cohen is the founder and CEO of IvyWise, a comprehensive educational consulting company—with expertise in admissions counseling, college and high school student counseling, tutoring and test preparation, and school research—that works with students in over 90 countries to help them get into the schools of their choice. IvyWise is composed of a team of former deans and directors of admission from the most selective universities. ivywise.com