03 Aug Road Map for August: Class of 2023

Well, Class of ’23, you’re about to start your third year of high school that will be shaped in some way by COVID. While I’ve been hopeful that things would finally be back to normal this year, the emergence of the Delta variant means there’s no guarantee of that. So what does that mean for your college planning?

Many juniors are telling me they haven’t had the opportunities they expected to participate in extracurricular activities. Of course this varies depending on your location and your school’s policies over the past year, and some students had opportunities but were so tired of online interactions that they didn’t want to add more of them into their schedule. Despite the uncertainty in the public health situation, I’m hopeful that more activities will be available and more of them will be in-person. If you haven’t been doing things you’re excited about, continue to explore and see what’s available that might be interesting and meaningful. Remember also that extracurricular activities do not have to be school-based and do not even have to be organized activities—your own hobbies count too.  In these last few weeks of summer and into the fall, look for opportunities to do more of the things you enjoy and to check out new things that sound fun. As you have more chances to explore your interests you may start to get a better sense of what kind of college experience will be right for you.