The period of time between submitting my last college app in January and finally committing to one on May 1st was a weird one. To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself: I couldn’t let myself succumb to the perils of senioritis, but I also had all of this free time now that I wasn’t constantly working on essays. And, if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re also finding yourself on a similar boat. My advice? Take some time to relax, and still try to strike that balance between being (sort of) productive and enjoying your last few months of high school. Here are five activities that I recommend doing with this new down-time:
Apply to Scholarships!
First, and I cannot stress this enough, apply to scholarships! Seriously, one of my biggest regrets is not applying to enough scholarships. I recommend checking in with your high school guidance office and local community center. What’s nice about these smaller scholarships is that they typically have a smaller applicant pool, and not many people apply to them. My other tip is to check out scholarship websites (psst… check out the bold.org Ad Astra scholarship!): it’s super easy to create a profile and apply to hundreds of scholarships all at once! By establishing this habit, even when you’re a college student, you can and should still keep applying to scholarships on your down-time.
Write Financial Aid Appeal Letters!
Another thing that I would look into is making sure that all of your colleges have received the necessary financial aid information, whether that’s FAFSA, CSS, or IDOC information. Most of the time, the financial aid office will send you an email if you need to submit more info, so please check your email often! In the same vein, once you receive your financial aid packages, compare them and write up appeal letters as needed. The guide to a good appeal letter is being as concise, specific, and polite in your wording as possible. Even though it might be a long shot, a good appeal letter goes a long way; with just one letter, I was able to appeal for a quarter-tuition scholarship at my college!
Be Thankful!
There were a lot of people who helped you navigate your college process: parents, teachers, coaches, college consultants, and even some of your peers! It’s so important to be gratuitous and thank these people, whether that’s through a thank-you letter or an act of kindness. Even after you graduate, it’s important to keep in touch with the people who helped you along the way.
Spend Time with Family and Friends (Safely, Of Course!)
Even if you can’t meet with your friends in person, there’s always fun activities that you can engage in virtually! I personally love Jackbox Games and PowerPoint nights with my friends! There’s also Netflix parties, skribbl.io, and good-old-fashioned FaceTime! And, if it is safe to do so, it’s nice to go out for coffee or bubble tea with a friend, with masks on, of course!
Prepare for AP and IB Tests!
Now, this certainly isn’t the most fun, but taking the time to study for your AP tests can end up helping your future self, especially when it comes to waiving Gen Ed (GE) requirements down the line! Think about it: would you rather spend a few weeks preparing for an AP test, or spend thousands of dollars and even more hours working on a GE course in college? Most colleges also have a section on their website where you can see the AP or IB policy. For the most part, your AP/IB scores will allow you to waive at least a few general requirements, like for writing or introductory math and science courses.
The bottom line? Make the most out of this time. I encourage you to be both productive and let yourself have fun. After all, you only get one senior year of high school, so make every moment count!