Welcome back everyone!
Winter is approaching, and many summer programs’ application portals are opening up. Is it too early to start thinking about how you want to spend your summer? It honestly depends. I found about the abundance of summer programs last year right after most of the applications were already due, so it’s definitely been on my radar as I don’t want to wait until it’s too late again.
If you have a specific program in mind, particularly a prestigious one that has lots of essays/a long application as part of the process, it’s best to start as early as possible. Lots of application portals open in December, but some even open before then. Application due dates can range anywhere from February to April (give or take), so there’s plenty of time- it’s just better to have an idea of what you want.
If you aren’t planning on attending a formal summer program like a camp or a program or a college, then you should have a lot more time. You can probably get a summer job on pretty short notice as long as there’s restaurants and stores in your town that hire teens. If you’re looking for an internship or to do research, you have a while to actually secure the position, but you’ll want to search for possible mentors/employers/places you could reach out to for these opportunities. I would recommend asking your school counselor as they should have some local info to guide you.
Of course, you don’t have to do any of these things to pursue your interests and have a productive summer! You can create your own project, you can volunteer, you might be traveling with your family, or a combination of these things. Only sign up for programs or look for opportunities that you’re actually interested in, and if you can’t find any, create your own!
-Brooke
adventures of a typical high school student 