⛱️ Turning Your Summer Plans & Extracurriculars Into Powerful College Essays
Soon, it’ll be the season of beach days, internships, volunteering, and… college essays. If you’re a rising senior, chances are you’re starting to think (or stress) about what to write for your personal statement and supplemental essays. Here’s the good news: you don’t need some life-shattering experience to write something meaningful. Your summer plans and extracurricular activities can be a goldmine for authentic, standout essays—if you know how to use them.
Let’s dive into how to turn what you’re already doing into essay-worthy stories.
1. Start With the “Why,” Not Just the “What”
Colleges don’t just want a list of what you did; they want to understand who you are through what you chose to do.
Example:
Volunteering at a local animal shelter? Instead of saying, “I walked dogs all summer,” write about why you chose to do that in the first place. Was it about giving back? Overcoming a fear of dogs? Finding peace during a stressful time?
🧠 Ask yourself:
What motivated me to do this activity?
What values or interests does it reflect?
What did I learn about myself or others?
2. Zoom in on Moments, Not Just Milestones
Great essays live in the details—specific scenes, turning points, or quiet realizations. You don’t need to be president of a club or win an award to make a powerful point.
Try This:
Write about a single conversation with a coworker at your part-time job.
Describe a frustrating moment during a research project and what it taught you.
🤔💭 Reflect on what you felt the first time you taught a younger student how to code, cook, or play an instrument.
3. Connect the Dots Between Activities and Identity
Colleges are trying to get a sense of your character and future potential. So make the connection explicit.
Example:
If you’re spending the summer building a robot for fun, you can write about:
How it ties into your curiosity about how things work.
The satisfaction of solving problems with your hands.
A vision of yourself as an engineer who wants to design tools for people with disabilities.
It’s not just “I did X.” It’s “I did X because it reflects who I am and who I want to become.”
4. Don’t Overlook “Small” Summer Jobs or Responsibilities
Babysitting. Working retail. Helping a sibling with homework. These are real experiences with emotional and practical depth.
✍️ Writing Tip: Even if your summer isn’t packed with official programs or travel, you can still write a powerful essay by showing:
Responsibility
Growth
Empathy
Leadership in unexpected places
5. Use Supplemental Essays to Expand Your Story
Not every story needs to fit in your main personal statement. Supplemental essays (like “Community,” “Academic Interest,” or “Why This College?”) are perfect places to highlight extracurriculars or summer experiences.
Pro tip:
If you’re attending a summer program (like Girls Who Code, a hospital internship, or a college-sponsored pre-college experience), you can use it to show initiative, passion, and how you take advantage of opportunities.
