As high school progresses, summer begins to feel less like a break for students and more like a resume-booster, filled with internship opportunities and summer programs. This atmosphere stems from the competitiveness of college applications. With the number of applications, according to Common App, having risen by approximately seven percent from 2025 to 2026, the acceptance rates of many schools have been decreasing. Instead of a crunch time for excess extracurriculars, summer should be a time to set goals for yourself and develop responsibility and experience. You can pursue your interests and further real-world experiences without feeling guilty about rest.
Internships and summer programs can be helpful when pursued out of genuine interest in a subject, and not just to fit the cookie-cutter idea of a “perfect” college applicant. Instead, a balanced summer, where you are able to seek out those interests while simultaneously being able to let yourself relax, is the ultimate summer that students should strive for. Whether that be a month-long internship or a program over the course of a week, stepping out of your comfort zone and pursuing a genuine interest is the way to utilize your break.
Eileen Cunningham Feikens, the director of college counseling at the Dwight-Englewood School, believes that a summer internship could be the perfect opportunity to get “hands-on” experience in a chosen field of interest.
“I love summer programs if a student is approaching that opportunity with a sense of purpose as to why they’re going to that program,” Cunningham Feikens said. “The most important thing to think about for a student and for a family is if the program you are looking at on a college campus feeds the passions and helps a student explore what those passions are. If it helps them understand that, ‘yes, this is something I want to pursue,’ then it’s great. As a résumé-padder, it’s not great.”
Therefore, the line between a résumé-padder and passion can be blurred. Sometimes, an activity can be both. To figure out which experience is best for you, ask yourself why you are doing it. If you find yourself scrambling to think of a genuine interest backing up your reasoning, then maybe it’s not the activity worth putting your free time into.
The experiences you can get over the summer don’t all have to be structured school-run programs or internships. For some, a job may be a necessity to provide for themselves or family, and for others it can be a way to pursue their passion. For example, hostessing at a restaurant can show your dedication and people skills in a similar way to being an intern at a firm. For either scenario, a summer job could be another way to find and develop a passion outside of academics.
There are many benefits to the unstructured environment summer break provides. By taking the time during the summer to work on a personal statement and other college essays, you may be able to alleviate some of the stress that may come later down the road, and take advantage of the free-time summer provides. In fact, according to Redwood High School’s 2026 Senior Survey, seniors’ biggest piece of advice for juniors was to work on their college applications during the summer.
That’s not to say that each high-school summer should be filled with job after job or internship after internship. Summer break is there to explore the opportunities that you don’t get to try during the school year. You don’t get graded on your curiosity. The stakes are low, and even if you find out an activity is not your true passion, you have still gained valuable experience.
With college acceptance rates at an all time low, and increasing demand for an acceptance, it is understandable that the pressure and stakes would feel high. Students try to stand out in any way they can, creating a culture where students are expected to have a “passion project,” nonprofit or internship. Trying to be the perfect applicant may feel necessary in a world where everyone else seems to be going above and beyond. However, this idea misses the fact that admissions officers are looking for an authentic and genuine applicant, even if that means your activity list is shorter.
According to the U.S. News and World Report, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the number one university in the world, and their admissions advice rings true.
“We want to see that students are involved in things because they care about them, not just because they think certain activities would ‘look good’ on their resume or college application,” the MIT website reads.
When thinking about how to navigate your summers, it is important to value relaxation while also working hard towards your educational goals. The most important summer isn’t only the one that looks good on paper, but also is the one that allows you to explore genuine interests and enjoy your well-deserved break.
