By Amy Li
Don’t underestimate the importance of summer.
Summers are crucial for high-achieving high school students. This is especially true for students interested in building a college-ready profile, including international students who may need to demonstrate initiative beyond academic performance and academic records.
Summers can play a key role in helping students in high school stand out in college applications with a unique story, one that often begins long before the formal college process kicks into gear. This is a story that shows a side of you that’s hard to capture during the high school year, when your time is packed with academic subjects, test scores and extracurricular activities.
Summer is different.
Here, you’re in full control, which means colleges often see it as a reflection of your interests, determination, creativity, grit and ability to follow through. According to national data from Pew Research, U.S. teens between ages 15 and 17 are spending more time on academic activities during the summer. For international students, summer planning is also a way to align their application profiles with U.S. admissions expectations.
But if you randomly pick extracurricular activities and toss them into your summer, chances are they won’t help you grow in a meaningful way. And they probably won’t add much to your college application either.
A first-of-its-kind study on effective extracurricular planning — based on a survey of Pioneer alumni, high-achieving students who completed a selective research program in high school and now attend top universities — confirms this. While many of them were incredibly active during high school, they didn’t just try to “do it all.” Most reported doing between two and six extracurricular activities in a single summer. And the average number of extracurricular activities over all four years of high school was 3.7.
That number may surprise you. It’s a reminder that colleges and admissions officers are not looking for the most packed calendar on a college application. What they’re looking for are thoughtful choices that reflect who you are and how you’ve grown. They’re looking for a good story. In the words of one Princeton admit, “Interdisciplinary projects fueled my curiosity and helped me craft a compelling narrative for my college application.”
But not every opportunity is right for every high school student. Some students thrive in structured extracurricular activities, while others do better with independent projects. When exploring all your options for extracurricular involvement, think about your strengths, interests, and what kind of structure helps you stay motivated.
Whether it’s research, volunteer opportunities at local groups or community organizations, community service, or starting your own initiative, the best choice is one that helps you grow — not just academically, but also in areas like leadership, teamwork and communication skills.
Colleges don’t just rank your extracurricular activities by prestige. They look at extracurricular activities based on depth, consistency, and personal impact. College admissions officers look at what you did, why you did it, and what you learned. They’ll be asking questions like:
So what does this mean for you? Ultimately, the best summer plan starts and ends with you. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters.
We’ve come up with three steps that are designed to help you think that through. If you use them to guide your planning, you should be able to build a summer that shows college admissions officers what you’re capable of, not just in terms of achievement, but in terms of focus and intention.
When it comes to planning, the earlier you start, the better. Ideally, you should begin thinking about this early in high school.
According to Pioneer’s survey, many students who were admitted to top universities began planning interest-based extracurricular activities early in high school, as early as 9th or 10th grade. That gave them time to explore, build momentum and apply to more selective programs by the time junior year came around.
No matter what high school grade you’re in (9th, 10th or 11th) starting in the fall or winter is key. Many competitive summer programs have application deadlines early in the year.
Most interested students begin by searching for programs online. But before you start comparing one activity to another, take a moment to step back and look at your own profile.
Where are you now?
What do you care about?
Where do you want to grow?
One helpful way to do this is to consider the four core qualities colleges look for when building an incoming class. Use those as a lens for evaluating your goals, and how your summer choices can help support them.
Before you start Googling high school summer programs or jumping into new extracurricular activities, take a moment to reflect. What are you actually interested in? And where have you already spent time developing yourself?
Here’s a quick way to do that: rate both your interest level and your past experience in each of the four areas below. Use a scale from 1 to 10 for each.
Note that this isn’t about checking boxes.
The goal is to find where your interests and opportunities align. Look for areas where you’re already curious but haven’t done much yet. That’s where summer can be transformative.
In the example above, this student rated their interest in both applying academic knowledge from high school to the real world and developing teamwork and leadership skills as high, but their experience in those areas is still relatively low.
That’s a clear signal for them focus their summer on those two areas, choosing opportunities that stretch them and help them grow.
What matters most is that you use this reflection to guide your planning. Start where you are. Build from there.
The previous reflection exercise gives you a quick sense of direction for planning extracurricular activities that align with what colleges actually value. Now it’s time to take that insight and set clear goals for what you want to gain from your extracurricular activities, especially during the summer.
A common misunderstanding about goal setting is focusing only on tangible outcomes. For example, many students take on internships with the main goal of getting a recommendation letter. But when that’s the only goal, it’s easy to forget what the internship was supposed to teach you. In fact, what colleges want to see in a recommendation letter is not that you did the internship, but what you learned from it.
If there’s no personal purpose behind the activity, checking the box won’t help you stand out.
The best goals focus on growth and development. Below is an example of how a student might approach setting goals for each area.
Once you’ve outlined your goals, you can start thinking about what kinds of extracurricular activities will help you reach them. This part is all about making sure the extracurricular activities support your personal development, not just filling time.
Here’s how different types of experiences might map to your goals:
Once you’ve set your goals and identified your development priorities, it helps to think about all the extracurricular options you can realistically fit into your summer. Not all types are accessible during the school year, and some are far better suited to the flexibility that summer offers.
Here are some common types of summer extracurricular activities, along with what Pioneer’s alumni survey shows about their impact:
These extracurricular activities can include university-hosted high school summer programs, research intensives like Pioneer Academics, or selective academic competitions. Some students also participate in regional competitions such as a math league, congressional art competition, or other contests that highlight problem solving skills, critical thinking, and creativity.
In some cases, these experiences are offered through a community center, giving students a chance to collaborate with local educators or community members who share their interests. These programs not only help build academic confidence, but also strengthen problem solving skills through real-world challenges and group-based inquiry.
These experiences made up 21 percent of standout extracurricular activities reported by Pioneer alumni. Because they are designed to run during summer, they offer structure, mentorship, and exposure to college-level work, all of which college admissions officers value.
These opportunities are especially beneficial for students interested in deepening their academic or artistic focus in a competitive setting, especially when they involve outreach or partnerships with a community center or local initiatives.
Summer gives students the time and space to start something of their own, whether that’s pursuing local volunteering opportunities, launching a podcast, designing a website, writing a novella or building a community tutoring program in partnership with a community center.
Some students collaborate with local government initiatives or design projects that engage directly with community members to address local needs. These kinds of self-organized extracurricular activities accounted for 11 percent of those highlighted in the Pioneer survey and were especially effective when they demonstrated creativity, initiative, and real-world problem-solving, particularly when tied to a broader local government or civic engagement context.
Membership in organizations like the National Honor Society can also help to build a meaningful narrative, especially when it reflects your initiative in areas such as community service, academic leadership or mentoring.
With the school year’s demands on hold, summer is a strong time to take on more consistent volunteer opportunities. Whether that’s helping at a local shelter, running a food drive or offering free lessons to younger students, community service made up 10 percent of standout extracurricular activities among alumni. It was most effective when sustained and tied to a student’s personal values.
You could, for example, work with a tutoring volunteer fire department initiative, which supports both public safety and local education. That would be a unique way to give back to your local community while also demonstrating maturity and initiative.
Some students use summer to pursue personal growth in the arts or sports. This could be preparing for music certifications, attending dance intensives, or training with a high school junior varsity or community-level sports team.
Others join a local group or take classes at a community center to develop skills in visual arts, performance, or athletics or rehearse for a school play being staged in the fall. Some use the summer to contribute creative content to the student newspaper, such as arts coverage or opinion pieces on culture, while others organize or attend summer sessions run by performance-based school clubs like theater, music or dance.
In total, sports (10 percent) and music/art (8 percent) represented 18 percent of highlighted experiences, which not only showcases talent, but also discipline and long-term commitment.
With in-school extracurricular activities largely unavailable over the summer, students often pursue subject-based courses, online intensives or certificate programs offered by external organizations. Some students also take college prep courses to reinforce key academic skills in advance of the school year.
These subject-based academic programs made up a smaller but still meaningful 5 percent of all activities reported, helping students demonstrate depth in a particular area of interest.
Some students even deepen their commitment by participating in math club or art club, both of which are common after school activities that allow students to demonstrate sustained interest and showcase creativity or analytical thinking.
Participation in the National Honor Society or International Honor Society can also be a powerful indicator of academic excellence and commitment to service. If you’re already a member, consider how your summer can reflect the values of scholarship, leadership, service and character that the organization upholds.
For older high school students, summer is often the first chance to try out a professional setting. That might mean working in a lab, interning at a nonprofit, or holding a part-time job. While only 1 percent of activities were jobs and 0.2 percent were student-led organizations, these experiences often stood out for demonstrating maturity, time management, and a strong sense of responsibility.
While high school extracurricular activities typically pause during the summer, students can still extend their involvement. For example, you might spend the summer preparing lesson plans for a high school club you lead, such as a psychology club, art club, robotics club, debate club, language clubs or other school clubs like yearbook.
Don’t discount in-school activities during the summer. They were cited by 22 percent of our alumni as the most impactful activity for alumni in getting noticed, the highest out of all extracurricular activities.
You could also organize a high school TEDx event for the fall or plan a mentorship initiative. While these aren’t summer activities in the traditional sense, they can still play a meaningful role in your broader summer strategy.
You could also join academic clubs that meet online or through virtual competitions over the summer. Even if your school newspaper or local student newspaper isn’t active during break, planning stories or reporting projects can build your profile and show initiative.
Some students also work on school-wide initiatives, such as preparing a fall campaign for student government, getting involved in student council to help shape school policy and culture, or creating events that benefit the school community.
Many top-performing students were also members of the National Honor Society, which recognizes academic achievement and community service.
According to the Pioneer survey, top students didn’t all follow the same path. But they did choose summer experiences that aligned with their goals and showed growth over time. Whether you’re doing research, building something from scratch, or giving back to your community, what matters is how clearly your effort and learning come through in your college application.
These experiences don’t just boost your résumé, they help you build valuable skills that college admissions officers look for.
Make sure to build a balanced plan and clearly track the requirements and deadlines for all the programs you’re applying to. Some top programs may even require endorsement from school officials or college admissions committees and officers as part of their college application process.
Once you’ve identified the criteria you want to focus on, and set your goals, the next step is to choose extracurricular activities that fit your time, energy, and personality. A good plan isn’t just about what looks impressive. It’s about what’s sustainable and aligned with who you are.
Here are key factors to keep in mind:
Be realistic about how much time and energy you have. Your plan should be achievable with everything else on your plate, including any AP or IB courses, test prep or family obligations. For example, if you’ve committed to three AP classes in the fall, a full-time internship might stretch you too thin.
According to Pioneer’s alumni survey, most students who were admitted to top colleges spent between 4 and 10 hours per week on extracurricular activities. That level of time investment was enough to show commitment and growth, but still allowed room for academics and rest. Notably, students who spent 4 to 8 hours per week did about as well as those who spent 8 to 10. Students who went far beyond 10 hours a week actually had slightly lower admit rates, suggesting that overcommitting might come at the cost of balance.
Choose extracurricular activities that push you to grow, but don’t pick ones that rely on skills you haven’t had time to develop yet. If you’ve never tried anything entrepreneurial, setting a goal to raise $10,000 from community sponsors might not be the most productive first step. Start with something feasible that still moves you forward.
To keep your summer both productive and manageable, choose extracurricular activities with different levels of difficulty. For example, if you’re doing a rigorous research program like Pioneer Academics, it may not be realistic to also lead an intensive business launch or high-pressure competition.
A stronger plan might include one more demanding activity, paired with something lighter but still meaningful. If you’re doing a full-time lab internship under the “applying knowledge in the real world” category, your second activity could support “whole-person development” — like coaching a youth sports team or writing personal essays on a blog.
For colleges, leadership positions are not really about having nice titles. It’s about taking initiative and creating outcomes that matter. Whether it’s organizing a fundraiser, being elected to student council, taking a role in student government, leading a club project, being the editor of a school newspaper or mentoring others, admissions officers want to see how you lead and collaborate.
Try joining your school’s student council or take a role in student government to contribute your ideas and develop leadership.
You could also contribute to a local radio station school segment or co-produce a feature with a local television channel school youth program. These platforms allow you to explore media while building communication and organizational abilities.
How many extracurricular activities should a competitive student take on during the summer? Is more always better? Absolutely not. One common mistake is trying to cram in as many extracurricular activities as possible. That usually spreads you too thin to learn anything meaningful or to reach the kind of personal growth that actually impresses colleges.
The better approach is to use your self-assessment and goal-setting as a guide, then choose one to three summer activities that support real development. When each activity has a clear purpose, you’re more likely to gain something from the experience, and more likely to reflect that growth in your college applications.
According to Pioneer’s alumni survey, 71 percent of respondents were admitted to top 20 U.S. colleges and universities. Most of them reported doing just three to four extracurricular activities across all four years of high school, focusing just on a handful that mattered.
Once you’ve selected a few summer extracurricular activities or programs to pursue, your next step is to map out the application process. If your plan includes applying to structured high school summer programs, you’ll need to build a timeline with three tiers in mind:
These are highly selective opportunities that are harder to get into (such as Clark Scholars or Pioneer Academics)
Still competitive, but with more open admissions (such as Yale Young Global Scholars)
These are opportunities you are very likely to get into (like most university precollege courses)
After you’ve chosen your programs, look up and track their deadlines immediately. Every program sets its own schedule, and missing a date can limit your options fast.
It’s also important to understand the different types of application timelines:
Highly selective programs almost always have early, fixed deadlines. These are strict and usually not negotiable.
On the other hand, many commercial or less-selective programs use frequent or monthly deadlines. Some may not list all deadlines up front, so it’s worth checking whether additional dates are available before submitting your application.
Also keep in mind that commercial programs tend to respond to applicants more quickly than selective ones. This can create pressure to commit to a “Plan B” program before hearing back from your top choice. To avoid that, time your applications carefully — try to submit your reach program applications first so you can weigh all your options before making a decision.
Once summer starts, it’s easy to jump straight into your extracurricular activities. But without a clear structure, many students find it hard to stay on track, and sometimes end up dropping extracurricular activities before they’re complete.
One often overlooked step during the planning process is setting milestones for each of your summer extracurricular activities. These are checkpoints that help you stay focused, reflect on your progress, and make sure you’re actually reaching your goals.
Here’s an example from a student spending their summer doing original research with Pioneer Academics while also teaching coding. Before summer begins, they outline milestones that support both of their focus areas: applying academic knowledge in the real world, and whole-person development.
If you’re still brainstorming what to do this summer, here are a few extracurricular ideas that align with the qualities colleges value:
The best ideas don’t come from a list — they come from looking inward and thinking about what excites you and where you want to grow.
Making a strong, well-thought-out summer plan for college application takes more than choosing impressive extracurricular activities. It requires timing, self-awareness, goal setting, realistic planning and ongoing reflection. But when done right, this kind of planning helps you build a summer that is productive, meaningful and aligned with your college goals.
So what are top universities really looking for in your summer extracurricular activities?
For the most part, they’re looking for purpose. Your summer doesn’t need to be packed with prestigious programs or nonstop activity. What matters most is that your choices reflect who you are, what you care about, and how you’re growing.
Whether you’re exploring a new interest, deepening a passion, or serving your community, a thoughtful summer plan can become one of the most powerful parts of your college application and a meaningful step in your personal journey.
High school is not about building the most impressive college application possible. It’s about becoming the kind of person who has something to say, something to contribute and something to grow into. Extracurricular activities aren’t boxes to check. They are chapters in your story.
So yes. Your summer matters. It’s an opportunity to explore, to lead, to help, to fail and to grow. These experiences will shape not just your application, but your character — and ultimately, your future career and future success. Along the way, they’ll also help you develop friendships that make your journey more rewarding.
And that’s how you stand out from other applicants on your way to your dream school.
Based on a recent survey of Pioneer alumni, 71 percent were admitted to the top 20 U.S. colleges and universities. Six percent of Pioneer’s alumni attended university-affiliated programs in the summer.
If you’re interested in conducting the highest level of research available to high school students, consider joining a Pioneer information session to learn more about the Pioneer Research Institute.
If you are a ninth- or 10th-grader, the Global Problem-Solving Institute is worth exploring. It gives you the chance to tackle real-world challenges with an interdisciplinary approach while earning college credit from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an impressive accomplishment early in your academic journey.
Doing research is commonplace. How do you choose the research opportunity that makes a difference?
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