Summer vacation looks different for every Upper School (US) student, but are some activities better than others? Some spend it working, interning, or taking classes to strengthen their college applications. Others use the time to travel, relax and take a break from academic pressure.

 US College Counseling Co-Director Sharonda Dailey Thompson advises students to “just do something” when planning for the summer.

 “Things that you feel meaningfully passionate about is more than enough.”

 She emphasized that colleges aren’t looking for a “checklist” but rather “consistency, curiosity and growth.” That “something” doesn’t need to be flashy. She challenged the notion that summer must be optimized for college admissions.

 “A lot of times, students and families question us on that because they don’t believe us,” she said. “They think there’s something specific they should be adding to their résumé or their list of activities that’s going to support them more in the college process, but that just isn’t true.”

 Ms. Dailey Thompson has observed trends in what students are looking to have under their belts when applying to colleges.

 “More recently, I’ve seen a lot of students looking for work experience,” she said. “Lab experience has always been popular, but I think it’s becoming even more popular for our STEM students.”

 Colleges value consistency and leadership, not just during the school year, but in how students choose to spend their time outside of it, Ms. Dailey Thompson said.

 This summer, Pilar Bowen-Arce ’28 spent three weeks in Maine at a sleepaway camp, a program she had attended for five years, before going to the School of the New York Times in New York.

 “I don’t think summer should feel like school,” Pilar said. “Try and balance your workload. I understand if you want to take summer programs, but summer is a time to explore what you’re passionate about.”

 Myriam Lai ’27 spent part of her summer taking a pre-college course on reverse genetics at Brown University.

 “I know I want to go into something biology-related,” she said. “It helped me explore different parts of the field and see what I really want to do, and working in a lab for those few weeks was interesting. … I heard from a teacher that it would be beneficial over the summer to go into something that you’re interested in.”

 Myriam also participated in a crew program at Dartmouth.

 “Six hours of rowing every day for five days was definitely helpful. … It gave insight into what it’s like in collegiate rowing, which provided recruitment tips and better ways to improve outside of the water.”

 Anna Zhang ’29 spent part of her summer traveling to see her family.

 “Summer’s a reset before I start school again because school can get really stressful.”

 She also worked at a camp for two weeks. Anna emphasized the importance of balancing fun and work. Her brother, a rising senior, does a lot of work over the summer while still taking breaks, she said.

 “I know a lot of people who are trying to do things over their summer, like working, but sometimes, it’s just important to rest,” she said. “Summer is about doing a little bit of everything, taking some rest, but also doing the things you want — traveling or something that benefits you.”