Summer is just around the corner, and after a difficult year of cancelled plans and quarantine, we’re finally starting to feel like things are returning to ‘normalcy’ as businesses reopen their doors and summertime activities resume. Most of the students and families we know were handed more than a few ‘lemons’ last summer, and we’ve been blown away by the dedication and perseverance our students have shown in the face of adversity. This summer, those lemons become lemonade! Sports, camps, summer jobs and travel are back on the menu and summertime college planning is in full swing. Now’s the time to squeeze in college planning and ACT Test Prep before summer slips away! Get ahead of the game with ACT Test Prep, College Search, College Applications & Essays, and Guidance for Prospective Student Athletes.

Keep reading for ideas for every grade and stage to squeeze all you can out of this summer! During summer, you don’t have classes or homework to worry about so check out ACT Test Prep and college planning, even college applications and essays off your list! You’ll thank yourself when fall comes and your schedule’s back in full swing.

Seniors Slam Dunk College Applications & Essays this Summer

If you’re graduating in 2022, you’re a legit high-school senior now! While you can’t hit submit until fall for most schools, you can do everything else right now! Set up your Common App account, get organized, collect all your college applications materials, even write that killer essay this summer. Save yourself stress this fall. We can help with our College Applications Guidance services!

Rising seniors thinking about retaking the ACT exam have time to prep and boost scores for the June 12, July 17, or September 11 ACT exam and still get your score back in time for Early Action college application deadlines.

If you need help finalizing your college shopping cart for fall applications, summer’s the time to do it! While COVID put the brakes on in-person college campus visits, college campuses are now re-opening and it’s time to get out there and see some schools! If you need College Search guidance, now’s the time to get help before college applications peak season this fall.

Schedule a free consult now to make senior year smooth sailing!

Juniors Knock Out ACT Test Prep This Summer

Class of 2023, knock out ACT Test Prep this summer! Many rising juniors and their parents don’t realize that you don’t HAVE to wait until the state-mandated ACT exam the spring of your junior year. For many soon-to-be juniors, summer’s a much easier time to devote energy to ACT Test Prep than fall or winter. We work with a ton of rising juniors, as well as rising seniors each summer who want to make productive use of summer free time to check a killer ACT score off their list of things to do.

Rising juniors should also focus on defining and finding the University of You™, that dream school that sets the standard for what you want, need, don’t want and don’t need in your ideal college experience. Once you’ve defined the University of You™, you’ll know exactly what you’re shopping for. Summer’s the ideal time for College Search, so you can get clear about what you’re shopping for and line up amazing options, including hidden gems and high-value colleges that will reward you for your academic and other achievements with merit aid that makes college more affordable. All year, but especially during the summer, our college GPS, Tom Kleese, is on the hunt for great options for our students. Nothing pleases Tom more than unearthing a school that you’ve never heard of that fits the bill just right.

Prospective student athletes entering junior year this fall are getting serious about finding the right team and right school for you. It can help to have some guidance about how and when to reach out to coaches, how to tackle plans for camps and clinics, especially in light of COVID-related restrictions and impacts. You can contact our Coach for Prospective Student Athletes, Stephanie Barth, to learn exactly what you should be doing, when and how to get noticed by your schools and teams of interest. Schedule a free consult to fast-forward your college recruiting path, and stay posted for the release of our 2021 Student Athlete Summer Playbook!

Sophomores Start Strong Now

Rising sophomores (those who’ll be sophomores this year) are smart to schedule a FREE ACT Practice Exam to satisfy your curiosity about what this big old test is all about. An ACT Practice Exam helps you understand what it’s like to sit for a three and a half-hour exam, and shows you exactly how you’ll do, and where you might need help once you’re ready to prepare next year. Our practice exams include a free consult where we’ll review your exam results with you and your parents.

Sophomores and their parents are also super smart to come in for a free consult to get the answers you need to make the path smooth and stress-free between now and when you’re ready to get serious about college planning. Our clients tell us that the free consult was super helpful in addressing everything from AP classes to how to do college campus visits well, and that starting the conversation early really helped reduce stress and lend focus and direction to their college planning efforts.

For prospective student athletes, sophomore year is key for outreach to college coaches, as well as taking it to the next level in competitions, practice and in thinking about what comes after high school. Athletes often benefit from guidance on next steps for College Athletic Recruiting before or once they hit sophomore year. You can schedule a free consult with Stephanie Barth if you’d like to learn more.

Freshmen Fast-Track Your Progress With Focus on Academics

Class of 2025 College PlanningParents of students who’ll be freshmen this fall LOVE free consults with us, where you can count on us to echo some of the key messages you’ve been sharing at home, like “turn in your homework because it all counts day one!” Come in for a free consult to get the answers you need.

For student athletes, the summer before your freshman year of high school is also a great time to consider whether you might want to pursue college athletics. While you certainly don’t need to make any decisions or commitments any time soon, starting early means you can set yourself up for great options later. Our Coaching for College-Bound Athletes helps outline the steps you can take at every grade and stage now throughout your high school career.

For every grade and stage, you can squeeze this summer for all it’s worth and make it your best summer yet!