At Collegewise, our students work on applications and essays during the summer before their senior year. We’ve found that it’s a lot less stressful for students than trying to fit that work in around their academic and activity commitments during the fall. Those applying to rolling admissions schools can actually start their senior year with a few college acceptances in hand. And that work during the summer is one of the reasons most of our students are able to submit all their applications by Thanksgiving. Working now leads to relaxation later.
But we still encourage them to enjoy the off-season.
Parents, as your students finish their school year and head into the summer, please take stock of just how hard they’ve been working, how many late nights they’ve been spending, and how few days off they’ve been enjoying since September. It might not be a concern if your student hasn’t exactly been stressing out or burning the midnight study oil. But if your son or daughter has been keeping hours that look less like those of a junior in high school and more like those of a junior associate at a law firm, it’s unreasonable to expect them to sustain their effort and their sanity without a break (even those junior associates still take the occasional vacation).
Summer should be productive and fun for kids. Whether they’re working a job, taking classes, attending a summer program, etc., please encourage and allow them to balance those productive pursuits with rest, relaxation, and just plain teenage fun with their friends. Their minds, bodies, and applications will be stronger if you allow them to enjoy the off-season.