The homestretch is here! I hope you’re acing your AP exams and finals, and looking forward to some activities this summer that will help you relax and recharge.

One last thing to do before school is out is get your letters of recommendation lined up. I usually recommend asking 11th grade teachers, but if your school has been virtual for all or most of the year you may not have had many opportunities to connect with them. If that’s the case, it’s fine to go back to teachers you had in 10th grade. (Don’t worry, colleges will understand and are expecting a lot of this!) Be prepared to complete a brag sheet for them and help refresh their memory of the work you did in their classes. If they don’t have a form or questionnaire, you can offer to complete this one. It’s also appropriate to let them know if you have things you’d like them to highlight in their letter.

After you take a well-deserved break, I recommend you take advantage of the summer to get as much application work done as possible, with the goal of having that much less on your plate when school starts in the fall.  To get started, register for one of my summer Common App or essay workshops, or get in touch if you’re interested in learning more about comprehensive advising. (Please note that if you enroll by June 30 you’ll be able to lock in the current package rate.)