Summer is a great time for high school students to rev up their competitiveness for college admission. Examples of opportunities students should consider this summer include:

Students who do not feel ready for college or who did not get into their favorite college as a freshman sometimes consider a GAP semester or year to have a new experience and possibly improve foreign language skills before entering college. Options range from design your own plan to signing up with a fancy GAP year program. 

Students who design their own plans sometimes decide to work full time for a semester or a year to gain work experience and earn money for college. There are many other options.