To-Be High School Seniors: Your Summer Checklist

This is it, high schoolers. By fall, you will be entering your last year of high school. You will earn that diploma and will be ready to venture onto your next step in the “adulting” process: college. Before you enter your final high school semesters, make the most of those three summer months to help you prepare for your first college semester. Here is a list of activities we suggest to-be high school seniors complete this summer:

Work on Your Resume

The summer months are the perfect time to build up your resume. Adding more to your resume can not only help you earn income and experience, but also teaches you important time management skills that will be useful in your final year of high school and your first year of college. Try finding a summer job in your neighborhood or volunteer at a local charity. Each will prove to be of great benefit to your resume both now and in the future.

Take the SAT and ACT

An important part of entering college, as well as applying for scholarships, is taking your SATs or ACTs. If you have not yet taken one of these college entrance exams, we highly suggest you register for a testing date. Not only do colleges require these test scores to determine whether or not you are accepted, but your scores may also make you eligible to receive merit-based scholarships.

After registering for your test date, prepare for the exam by studying. You may also take practice tests and quizzes as well as participate in preparation classes designed to help you succeed on your exam. One-on-one tutoring may also be of great benefit, due to it being a more personalized method of study. Take advantage of your resources to help you succeed in getting the best scores you can.

Prepare for Your Next Step

If you have been looking at colleges, you most likely have a long list of potential candidates. Take the summer months as an opportunity to refine that list. Visit college campuses to learn more about the atmosphere and meet with a university counselor. Take a close look at tuition as well as room and board costs to better understand what you will be spending per academic year.

Most importantly, make a list of your academic, financial and social needs in a college. For example, if you are a rugby athlete who wishes to compete during college, two needs would be that the university has a rugby team and an athletic scholarship. This helps narrow down your list of colleges, sorting through which ones will be able to match your criteria. Once you have narrowed it down, you will be able to apply to your top favorites.

Use your summer months as an opportunity to prepare for your final year of high school and your first semester of college. In the end, you will be glad you did.

If you are looking for a college that makes affordable tuition a priority, offers a wide variety of degree programs taught by knowledgeable faculty and has a vibrant campus life, Grand Canyon University is a great choice. To learn more about GCU, visit our website or contact us using the Request More Information button at the top of the page.