You have completed your school year, and summer is here in full effect. While summer vacation may be the perfect time for sleeping in and relaxing with friends, it is also a great time to continue to build on your skillset or get ahead academically.

Colleges want to see that you are committed to learning, both during and after the school year. What you do with your summer vacation will show colleges your determination, and can help you stand out from other applicants who might have similar test scores and GPAs.

Students attempt to stand out through various ways, but many do so by attending summer camps or getting internships in their particular interests. However, most summer camps and internships require both early planning and applying. If you need ideas for summer activities to boost your college profile that you can do now, keep on reading!

Volunteer Work

Volunteering is a great way to help out your community and show colleges your civic-mindedness. There are many places where you can volunteer, including schools, community centers, libraries, museums, and more. If you’re interested in civic work, this can also be a great way to get some experience. If you enjoy teaching children, love working with people, or want to get your hands dirty and work outside, you can often find a volunteer opportunity that allows you to do just that.

College Courses

You’ve just finished your high school exams, so why go back to class? Although taking classes may not sound like the most fun way to spend your summer, they will undoubtedly help you prepare for college. Take a couple of classes to get a feel for college-level courses and get a head start on your studies. If you have an idea of what you want to pursue in college, take classes in that particular subject. If for some reason you are unable to find the course you want at your local community college, then consider taking online classes instead. Online classes are perfect for getting you prepared for tough courses in your junior or senior years, and they can be taken for college credit for general courses that you will be required to complete once you are in college anyways. It is important to note that you should make sure to take online courses from accredited colleges.

ACT/SAT Prep

If you are yet to take the ACT/SAT or if you haven’t seen the results you are looking for, then take this time to prepare and study for the ACT/SAT. You can also consider EduPeer’s service for it. It provides you with structure through online tests and support through human coaches to make a comprehensive package to get you to your best scores. You will benefit from adaptive learning methodology so that your weaker areas get more practice questions in the online tests. Additionally, one-on-one coaching sessions with the top 1% scorers of the actual standardized tests will get you all of the experiential insights needed to give you the boost in the scores you need. And all that from the comfort of your home.

Enjoy your summer and take time to relax; also use this summer to get closer to your dream college! Weave in the above activities when planning out your summer vacation!