Today kicks off our special summer admissions series.

For high school students, summer break is often the only extended opportunity to explore activities outside the classroom. And make no mistake — colleges pay close attention to how students spend their summers. Summer is a highly valued part of a student’s overall application.

Still, as much as students want to make their summers count, things don’t always go as planned. Some may face rejection from competitive programs or simply get overwhelmed with other obligations, entering the break with no clear roadmap. Others end up blindly following what their friends are doing, wondering deep down, “Is this really the right fit for me?”

This post is for those students. We’ll walk through how to find strong alternative experiences — and how to think about summer planning more strategically.

Start with the Right Framework: 8 Essential Competencies

When students and parents ask how to choose summer activities, I always recommend filtering options through eight essential competencies that colleges look for:

1. Science, Technology, Engineering
2. Language & Expository Writing
3. Humanities & Social Science
4. Arts & Athletics
5. Communication & Leadership
6. Culture
7. Quantitative Reasoning with Data
8. Volunteer Work

Even within these eight categories, the range of choices can feel overwhelming. But here’s the key: Don’t start by fixating on a specific end goal. Instead, begin with a clear set of evaluation criteria. Ask yourself:

▫ Did I apply for a program just because other students were doing it?
▫ Did my parents’ preferences override my genuine interests?
▫ Did I overly focus on academic growth and neglect other areas?

The answers to these questions can help you realign with what truly matters in the admissions process.

How Colleges Actually Evaluate Summer Activities

To set smart goals, we first need to understand how colleges assess student experiences. Below is a synthesis of evaluation criteria drawn from Harvard’s internal admissions manual, MIT’s admissions blog (which often discusses summer programming), and counselor guidelines published by Princeton University.

These 10 qualities capture what admissions officers are really looking for:

1. Intellectual Vitality
Are you intellectually curious? Have you demonstrated the ability to define and explore real-world problems?

2. Leadership / Initiative
Have you taken charge of a project or team and delivered meaningful, measurable results? (Think revenue, user metrics, or tangible impact.)

3. Character & Contribution
Have you contributed to your community? Do your actions reflect ethical integrity and empathy? Think fundraising results or number of people served.

4. Professionalism / Responsibility
Have you shown up and delivered in adult-run environments? Strong letters of recommendation from adults in your program can reflect this.

5. Academic Rigor & Self-Motivation
Have you sought out learning experiences beyond your school’s offerings — and earned credible results?

6. Creativity & Communication
Can you produce original work with a compelling narrative? Bonus points if your work has been recognized or validated by others.

7. Global Perspective & Adaptability
Have you worked cross-culturally or pursued self-directed projects that required persistence and global thinking?

8. Authenticity & Grit
Can you stick with something long-term, even when it gets hard?

9. Academic Index Boost
Have you achieved clear academic milestones or earned awards that speak to your self-discipline?

10. Resilience & Teamwork
Can you demonstrate mental and physical endurance? This often emerges in group-based or physically demanding environments.

📝 Note: You may notice GPA isn’t included — that’s because it’s the baseline. These 10 areas are what go on top of your GPA to make your application stand out.

Planning Alternatives: A-ONE INSTITUTE’s Approach

Instead of asking “What’s the best activity?” we encourage students to ask, “Which of the 10 competencies can I demonstrate through this experience?”

If your Plan A didn’t work out, there are plenty of Plan B options that can serve the same purpose — and often more authentically. Let’s take one of the categories above — Leadership/Initiative — and explore both primary and alternative opportunities.

Plan A Examples (for Leadership/Initiative)

• MIT LaunchX — Club formation & startup curriculum
• SDGH: Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon
• Local Hack Day (with MLH resource package)
• Wharton Global Youth Investment Competition
• Harvard Policy-thon

Strong Plan B Alternatives

If you didn’t get into your first-choice program, you still have excellent options, such as:

• Junior Achievement "Company Program"
• Technovation Girls or UN SDG Global Hack
• Host a school hackathon using the Hack Club Toolkit
• SIFMA Stock Market Game (simulated portfolio competition)
• Civics Unplugged Fellowship — write and propose a real policy or action plan

Summary: You Haven’t “Failed” — You’re Just Re-routing.

Each of the Plan A programs above can be replaced with a meaningful, admissions-worthy Plan B — as long as it aligns with one of the ten evaluation pillars we’ve outlined.

If your first choice didn’t work out, that doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance. On the contrary — as long as you stay grounded in these principles, your summer can still be one of the most transformative parts of your application.

This wraps up our first installment of the summer admissions series. In the coming posts, we’ll dive deeper into specific activity types and how to structure them for maximum impact.

If you’re curious about which alternatives might be right for you, feel free to reach out to us at A-ONE INSTITUTE. We’d be happy to help you build a meaningful summer plan.

Thank you for reading.