09 Jul Road Map for July: Class of 2023

We are finally into our long-awaited summer break and I hope you’re having some fun and some rest. This is also a good time to take stock of your high school experience so far and start thinking about what you want the second half to look like. Creating a résumé is a great way to do this. You might use it for a job or internship opportunity, and it will give you a start on the brag sheets and college applications you’ll be working on a year from now.

When you’re creating a college-related résumé, think inclusively about what to list; it can be anything you spend time on outside of school work. This can include organized clubs, paid work, community service, family responsibilities and hobbies. As you start putting these things in writing give some thought to which activities are more important to you and those you might like to make more time for. With all the disruption of the last year we’ve had opportunities to rethink how we spend our time and what we value, so put those insights into action.

Another planning item for juniors is standardized testing. The expansion of the test-optional movement takes a lot of the pressure off for the SAT and ACT but I’m not having students skip standardized testing altogether. Instead, develop a plan that fits your strengths and goals.  SAT registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open and ACT registration will be open soon. Even if you’re not ready to register, you might want to pencil in dates that you could take your tests to avoid scheduling conflicts later in the year.